XXL put together an excellent tribute to the memory of Trouble T-Roy on the 20th year of his passing. The Heavy D & The Boyz dancer died in a tragic freak accident while out on tour. After the jump, CL Smooth who wrote a classic hip-hop record in his honor (“They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”) talks in great detail about one of the song’s lyrics. Still wishing Troy Dixon a peaceful journey.

“T to the R-uh-O-Y, how did you and I meet?/In front of Big Lou’s, fighting in the street/But only you saw what took many time to see/I dedicate this to you for believing in me,” —CL Smooth, “T.R.O.Y.”

That was real. It was just over a disagreement about a chick me and Troy was both seeing and it just escalated into something else… He had his people and he wasn’t a punk. His occupation was entertain and dancing but he wasn’t no punk, and he was very seasoned on what he did and he had big brothers and people that loved him to. It was a beautiful story to talk about ’cause it ended positive, it ended beautifully and it was one of the more famous fights in my small town of Mt. Vernon.

This was a [five-minute] scrap and it was a beautiful one… You had a lot of great fights out there but you never had a person of his notoriety to go out and shoot a five. I think that shows heart, that shows a lot of attitude, a lot of balls to come up and by that time I think that was my last year of high school ’cause I remember coming from summer school and getting off the bus and that whole thing poppin’ off like that.

In the end we became brothers, we became friends and respected each other at the end of the day. I give respect where respect is due and I’m very grateful for everything I think because that move was made that way I’m still here to have a career, I’m still here to entertain the people with a piece like [“T.R.O.Y.”].