The Cosmic American

Houston rapper Triillbert’s debut full-length ‘Balance’

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Triillbert, who was born in West Texas but currently resides in Houston, is a multi-faceted rapper and songwriter. A storyteller at heart, his music has a true-to-life feel.

 

Recently, Triillbert released his debut full-length album, Balance. This was proceeded by three EPs, including The Ice Boy E.P. Check out his discography here.

 

Triillbert is influenced by some of the heaviest hitters in hip-hop, as his varied, intelligent songwriting shows. “The artists I would say influenced me the most would be Emimen and J. Cole in terms of lyricism, Kendrick Lamar in terms of storytelling, and guys like Drake, the Weeknd, and Partynextdoor in terms of my melodic side.” All of these influences are apparent throughout Balance, though Triillbert certainly has his own sound.

 

The biggest thing that sets Triillbert apart from many indie rappers are, as he mentions, the multiple angles he comes at music from, including emphasizing, songwriting, melodies, and storytelling. As far as lyricism and storytelling goes, highlights on Balance include “Twenty Three” and “Queen.” The former is an especially interesting track, as it is the ninth on the album, and is wordplay on his birthday, 9/23. He says that it’s the most candid he’s been about himself and explains “a lot of what I’ve done and felt through my growth as a young artist.”

 

“Queen” is Triillbert’s first collaboration with longtime friend Jai Sterling. “That was the moment we knew our styles would fit perfect for each other,” he says, “and we haven’t looked back.” The effortless sounding track has a laid-back vibe, features some cool keyboard samples, and has a thick, steady backbeat.

 

As far as more of a combination of unique vibes and storytelling goes, “Never Fall” and “Remember Me” stand out. “These songs meant the most to me during the time of recording and development and even still to this day,” he says. “When I initially conceived the album, I wanted to be a mix of Kendrick’s good kid, m.a.a.d. city in terms of its personal approach, Drake’s Take Care for its slower moments, and ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron for its all-around good feeling, while also speaking on the things that occur within my life.”

 

Throughout Balance, Triillbert achieves these goals. Check it out here.

Erik Ritland is a songwriter and journalist from Nashville, Tennessee. He's released 13 records and EPs, most recently 2021's innovative movie album Old Dog Almost Gone. His journalism has been featured on Something Else! Reviews, Music in Minnesota, and more, and his articles have been shared by members of bands as diverse as KISS, the Monkees, Son Volt, and Low Cut Connie.