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Lil' Troy

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Lil' Troy
Birth nameTroy Lane Birklett
Born (1966-02-24) February 24, 1966 (age 59)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
GenresHip Hop
Occupations
Years active1986–present
Labels

Troy Lane Birklett (born February 24, 1966),[1][2] known professionally as Lil' Troy, is an American rapper and songwriter.

Early life

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Birklett was born in Houston and grew up there.

Career

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Early career

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In 1987, Troy Birklett founded Short Stop and joined the group Mass 187 in 1987. Mass 187's song "Gangsta Strut" was featured on local radio.[3] He was arrested in November 1999 and sent to a federal detention center in Beaumont, Texas west of Orange. He was there nine months.[4][5]

Wanna Be a Baller and later career

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In the late 1990s, Lil' Troy featured many of Houston's rappers in his songs. He reached national audiences with his single "Wanna Be a Baller".[6] The song reached No. 70[1] on the Billboard Hot 100, and propelled Sittin' Fat Down South, his debut album on his Shortstop/Me & Mine Entertainment label, to the Top 25 albums on the Billboard 200. After the success of the lead single, Lil' Troy was picked up by Universal Music Group, which re-released his debut album in 1999 with national distribution. The debut album was a success; it was certified Platinum by the RIAA selling 1.9 million copies in the US.[4][7] Lil' Troy released a follow up in 2001, titled Back to Ballin. The album did not have a charting single and did not fare nearly as well as his debut. He released his third album, Paperwork, in 2006.

Lil' Troy later became a truck driver, forming Birklett Trucking Company in Missouri City, Texas west of Pearland.[8]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Title Chart positions[9] Certifications
US US R&B US Ind
1998 Sittin' Fat Down South 20 6 –
2001 Back to Ballin
  • Released: September 11, 2001
  • Label: Koch/Short Stop/Me & Mine Entertainment
 95 24 4
2006 Paperwork
  • Released: February 14, 2006
  • Label: Short Stop/101
 – – –

Singles

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Year Title Chart positions Album
US US R&B US Rap
1998 "Small Time" – – – Sittin' Fat Down South
1999 "Wanna Be a Baller" (featuring Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil' Will, and H.A.W.K.) 70 40 31
"Where's the Love" (feat. Willie D & Ardis) – – –
2001 "We Gon' Lean" — — — Back to Ballin
"Back to Ballin" – – –

References

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  1. ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason (2008). "Lil' Troy > Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  2. ^ "Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing". Myheritage.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. ^ O'Connor, Christopher (October 27, 1999). "Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Baker, Soren (October 8, 2001). "Lil' Troy, Free From Prison, Is Back To Ballin'". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2001. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  5. ^ Mariani, Anthony (October 16, 2001). "Never Surrender". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  6. ^ "Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  8. ^ Conner, Briana (December 8, 2021). "Houston rapper Lil' Troy survives 18-wheeler fire on I-10: 'I thank God'". ABC13 News. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  9. ^ "Lil Troy Billboard albums". AllMusic. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  10. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Riaa.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
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