
Surprise, surprise. After much speculation, Billboard has confirmed that Atlanta rapper Trinidad James has signed to the house that Russell and Rick built. Says president, Joie Manda:
“We’re excited to welcome a young talent like Trinidad James to the Def Jam family,” Joie Manda says. “Def Jam prides itself as both a cornerstone of hip-hop’s rich tradition, and as a vital, forward-thinking label dedicated to breaking and nurturing emerging artists. Trinidad James represents the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the culture today. We are thrilled to have him at the label, and look forward to growing his already massive buzz.”
As part of the deal, the label will also incubate his imprint, Gold Gang Records. Interesting times we’re in. Check out DJ Self’s recent vlog featuring Trinidad after the jump.
Tags: def jam, trinidad james





We had a whole lot of superstars on this stage here tonight. But this is… Papoose's house? We're all still reeling that the 20th anniversary of Hip-Hop's Super Bowl featured the Nacirema Dream as a headliner. Damn you Kendrick Lamar and your generous ways. Yeah it's hip-hop to bum rush the show but c'mon Pap you know you didn't deserve that look. And you gave even less fucks by performing a new song. C'mon fam. You've paid a lot of dues through the years but this was the big dawg time in the program. Don't disrespect the game in your pursuit for fame. Oh well, Brooklyn took it.
Speaking of BK, Fab had a master plan of bringing Lil Kim and Foxy Brown back together again. But when it was time to make history, Fox Boogie was nowhere to be found. Where was you at? Wack.
trinidad james .. is a costume . congratulations to you if you read this .
Lol is Def Jam nervous about Jeezy and Ross new moves at Atlantic? This seems like a desperation move…
represents the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the culture today…. growing his already massive buzz.”
wow all i need is a million views and i can be on the other side of this blogging ish……. get it how u live
“Trinidad James represents the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the culture today.”
^
really? whats with these labels that keep signing these mediocre rappers? I guess real rap skills dont matter anymore. This dude will most likely be irrelevant in a year.
DONT BELIEVE ME JUST WATCH!!!
Trinidad James represents the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the culture today
translation
if u dumb ass niggas gonna spend money on this nigga, then why the fuck am i not the one selling this shit? there is profit to be made off of alot of fools in these streets and i’ma make it. hate the player or hate the game, either way, i’ma be rich while u over there hating.
sincerely, joey i. e.
@devante jeezy and ross didnt leave def jam. jeezy got a side gig at atlantic, and ross took mmg to atlantic. the 2 of them are still def jam artist tho
No reason for this dude to get a deal when you think of how other “poppin” artist damn near jump through hoops to get a deal.
At the end of the Day this Proves that IF ANYBODY HAS A DREAM THEY CAN GET IT. Dont hate BE GREAT!! If you think youre a Hot artist: Then make it happen. Yes, hes not the best rapper, and he knows this, but AT LEAST HE HAD THE BALLS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR HIM AND HIS FAMIly. JUst think about how much money you can make if YOU JUST TRY!! Im DJ Kaleaf and IM GETTING MINES!!!
http://lawleafmusic1.bandcamp.com
[...] rr [...]
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How da fuck dhis sorry basic ass nigga got a deal but my dawg Freddie Gibbs still aint signed da fuck
Good for him.
Trinidad James>>>>> J.Cole
Pop a MOLLY i’m sweatin WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations….. Few months in and signed…… It happens for some and he’s just one of the lucky ones…… Whatever…..
who?
@Genesis… exactly.
BIGGEST FUCKERY OF THE YEAR!!!!! and it happened like 18 days before the end of 2012
if Def Jam is NOT on the “YOU PLAYED YOURSELF” on RapRadar….I dont know whats going on
SMH
The reality is DefJam is the Titantic sinking. This is the usual Gimmick move that won’t pay off…What talent Joey IE??? SMH
Wow that was quick as fuck! Can’t hate, he made the right moves. Thats why it happened so fast. Speed chess. Good for him. Bless up.
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Something different —-> http://www.youtube.com/user/cromerbeats
nigga nigga nigga its sad
wowowwoowwowoww im soooo surprised and this guy admitted he only been rapping for 10 months…
How many songs you know from the Macarena guys? Exactly it’s pop music, you just need to pop. He popped. It’s as simple as that. More people pop from effort and talent than by seeming fluke. Live and learn.
“young talent” ROFL
The fact that he said he’s been rapping for 10 months and STILL got signed….. SMH
cant with this bullshit.
Hip hop has really changed over the past couple of years, and I mean changed for the worst. This guy Trinidad James has no skills, whats all the fuss about this guy. This guy was on Rap Fix live last week and decline to freestyle for the cameras. Where are the lyrical skills at. All gold everything….nigga we been rockin gold everything in hip hop, ask Slick Rick, these rappers today are just one hit wonders. Just a quick fix for these record labels to get that one hit wonder money!!!!
Great addition to the legacy of RUN DMC, LL COOL J, PUBLIC ENEMY, JAY Z etc
Props to the ” forward-thinking label dedicated to breaking and nurturing emerging artists”.
More like sit back and wait till an artist builds a pseudo-buzz then sign them up to perpetuate the fuckery that you call the music industry nowadays.
Why would Def Jam sign a rapper who has been RAPPING FOR 9 MONTHS???
They prolly economically raped this nigga with a 360 deal.If Trinidad James can get signed then sign my nigga LIL B!!
“Lil B is the RAWEST rapper alive” – Everyone
can’t fucking believe def jam sight this shit.wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ B trinidad james never declined to freestyle , sway said its his first time on the show he wont pressure him … ANYTHING THING TO MAKE A NICCA LOOK BAD , and nobody said hip hop had one lane to rap this diversity in hiphop has been goin on for years …..
Muthafuckas forgot about kreyshawn that fast. Still didn’t post the GZA and Dr.Tyson interview
Def Jam really signed a rapper who has been RAPPING FOR 9 MONTHS??
He has been rapping for 9 MONTHS he doesn’t have the potential to make hit songs.
Def Jam should sign my nigga Lil B since they signing random niggas.
This is FUCKERY and Disrespectful to Hiphop!!!!!
@B What do u mean by he don’t have kno skill…. he jus got a 2million dollar DEAL!!!!!! and what does a freestyle have to do with making a good song…. Eminem said it his self he can’t freestyle without writing it down!!!!! do that mean he don’t have kno skill ?…. okay then…..and slick rick got booed in his own city at the Brooklyn game….so please dont bring him up….and hip hop been dead since 2pac and biggie left….so you late with that B…. HA !
DON’T Be (S)ensitive (A)s (F)uck (E)veryday – Trinidad Jame$
I enjoy the single but thought he was just an ignorant Gucci walks flakka type of dude. I downloaded the tape and it’s actually really well done.
@ Bumpy Johnson, i understand that but Sway said that shit because, I bet anything Mr. Trinidad James manager told MTV before the show that he cant do it, so Sway said he didnt want to pressure him bc of his first time. You know thats bullshit because a lot of rappers been on Rap Fix for the first time and they spit….so what makes him so special? ONE HIT FUCKIN WONDER!!! That shit shows you how FUCK UP the rap game is today!!!!!
So they should have signed mos def? Lmaooooo you old niggas thats leaving comments is comedy. Stop it already. Congrats to Trinidad
@ YEP you sound stupid as hell!! You know this nigga is a one hit wonder! O.K, Slick Rick got booed at the game, SO WHAT BUT GUESS WHAT,SLICK RICK IS A LEGEND IN THIS GAME, THAT MEANS HE’S NOT A ONE HIT WONDER….But WHY IN THE HELL IS UR FAVORITE RAPPER MR. TRINIDAD JAMES TRYING TO BE LIKE SLICK RICK……ALL GOLD EVERYTHING!!! AND HOW HIP HOP IS DEAD SINCE BIG AND PAC, THERE ARE PLENTY OF DOPE RAPPERS WHO CAN SPIT…….PUSHA T KANYE WEST, BIG SEAN, THE WHOLE WU TANG, JAY-Z, GAME, EVEN EMINEM, SO ON AND SO ON, AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU SIT UP AND AGREE WITH THIS TRINIDAD JAMES FUCKERY, IS WHY THE RAP GAME IS FUCKED UP NOW!
son said they signing random niggaass,,,,lolol,,hahaaaaa!!! basically!
Congrats to Trinidad, no hate coming from me about that. Homie’s music is def more then just that one song, yall should check it out and judge him on the whole body of work. Based on that I will say that he def has potential and I know he’s a genuinely good dude so I’m happy to see him prospering.
Now I gotta agree with @Mike…B. Dot, Big Homie, YN…anybody, just to show some balance in this culture of hiphop of ours, post that Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson x GZA interview!! http://youtu.be/vHfdd-PQVwo
GZA has earned his stripes enough to deserve a post, one can’t say he’s in the minors and more then that, that interview may help open the minds of some of the younger audience of RR to see that its ok, maybe even cool once upon a time, to learn, to gain knowledge and maybe just maybe it could help to inspire some to read up and learn a little bit more about science.
Don’t use the argument that it’s not exactly about hiphop as it is and you all post enough other non-related hiphop shit on here (r&b, etc etc) that it wont hurt to show a little love and post something positive from one our more articulate mc’s in the game. Our country is suffering and it’s only gonna get worse because of the lack of education of our youth, specifically math, science and technical education and at the bottom of this is our brown and black children, whenever we have the chance to show a positive example that can help to give credence to minorities in science we should, especially since it is truly an interview that uses the theme of hiphop all through it.
Positive Education Always Causes Elevation!
def jam taking them L’s
congrates to this man. its funny that when artist that ya’ll dont agree with get a deal, ya’ll talk about the label: “Def jam is on the decline” WTF they still have jeezy & Ross, and they still move units, well somewhat anyway. but you guys are funny on this site.
too many wack rappers getting signed these days
lol is this guy for real cause he sure looks like a caricature of what a ‘rapper’ should look like. Can’t wait to hear his album……NOT
@B come on my dude…. everybody thought FUTURE was a one hit wonder and look at what happen… that nigga is still here….and the slick rick thing…. he’s a legend… but that shit is getting played out… that why he got booed… storytelling is not for today’s age….and SOME of the rapper you just name as dope is TRASH… COME ON NOW!!!!!!
BIG SEAN = ASS ASS ASS
PUSHA T = COCAINE COWBOY
AND YOU CALL JAMES TRASH AND THESE NIGGAS YOUR FAVORITE….. I QUIT!!!!!!!!
No surprise.IDK the ins and outs but, since he was on WSHH and A3c he has been blowing up rapidly.
Loch 50 Cent ft. Eminem and Adam Levine My Life freestyle: http://youtu.be/5JgMw5YMb5Q
i guess hes in the major leagues now smh after 1 week in New York this nigga gets a deal with def jam, wow
If this guy can make it so can any other guy!!!! I am sorry but I cannot support this custome wearing Sesame Street looking mutha fucka!!! We should all quit our day jobs (niggas that actually have one) and become rappers shit anybody can make it! We should all aspire to be as wack as we can be!!!!’
@yup !
Pusha T shit on this nigga in his sleep! Not saying pusha t is anything special at all but compared to James they are in totally leagues!! How u ganna out him on a Pedestal like that after one tape!!!
[...] Surprise, surprise. After much speculation, Billboard has confirmed that Atlanta rapper Trinidad James has signed to the house that Russell and Rick built. Says president, Joie Manda: “We’re excited to welcome a young talent like Trinidad James to the Def Jam family,” Joie Manda says. “Def Jam prides itself as both a cornerstone of hip-hop’s [...]See all stories on this topic » [...]
…and this is why they didn’t want Irv Gotti as President.
Shout Out to Trinidad James.
You did EXACTLY what you were supposed to do.
Don’t know that particulars of the deal, but I’m sure there’s a LOT of strings.
Even with the imprint, sounds like a modified 360 deal.
Hey…2 Million is STILL 2 Million.
…I guess you can’t front on a monster record.
…and i listened to the Mixtape a few weeks back.
I can honestly say I did not see this one coming.
Straight outta left field.