Search - Trae :: Restless

Trae - Restless

Constant | Vancouver, BC Canada | 07/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Trae's latest album is "Restless" (2006) a seventeen-track release. I have listened to Trae on collaborations with Z-Ro but this is the first album of his that I have come across. Repping Houston Trae provides a solid release, which is laced with impressive production and has numerous guest appearances. Trae remains the star of the show. Trae rips up "Real Talk" rhyming with a fast flow. One of my favourite tracks on this album is the title cut "Restless", Trae and Young Noble of the Outlawz deliver an excellent collaboration. Trae shines again when delivering "The Truth" with Billy Cook and then provides the powerful "Song Cry". The later cut is off the hook, Trae puts made heart into this cut while taking his audience through his life. Trae delivers excellent on point lyrics rhyming with a lot of hunger on these tracks. Trae sings on the laidback "Quit Calling Me" while telling a lady to leave him be. Another exceptional track is "No Help", cousins Trae and Z-Ro deliver a memorable joint, about riding solo and not needing anyone to make it. The highlight of this track for me is the chorus. Trae brings some more variety to the album by enlisting R & B singer Mya for "Matter of Time", Trae rhymes with confidence while Mya delivers a strong chorus. Southern catz may enjoy the bangers more then myself, what I really liked about this release though is Trae's genuine introspective cuts. Like Z-Ro he remains slept on. I am impressed by this release; Trae delivers quality music making "Restless" an album worth looking into."

One listen is all that is needed.

Pablo | 05/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Trae is dope. While most people that look at the Houston rap scene merely see Mike Jones and Paul Wall flossing on the outside, few of them look beneath the surface, and dig underground to find some of hip-hop's most compelling artists. Cats like Z-Ro and K-Rino have long been known as two of Houston's best kept secrets, but perhaps surprassing them is the former's cousin, Trae. In terms of voice and cadence, there is actually very little difference between both Z-Ro and Trae; Trae's voice is slightly deeper than Z-Ro's Barry White-smooth delivery. What puts Trae on a slightly higher scale than Z-Ro, in my opionion, is the fact that Trae is able to cater to both types of hip-hop fans; the ones who make up the core of Z-Ro's fanbase, and focus on pure lyricism, and the ones who buy Dro and Joc albums based off of beats alone. Trae's introspective cuts are amazing; some of the most entrancing stories you'll hear from any emcee. He also serves up a number of bangers that'll have your trunk rattling from side to side.



Armed with stellar production, and an amazing sense of rhythm, Trae comes into this release with a melancholic intro that sets the tone for the majority of the album. Real Talk is an amazing track featuring Trae getting his Bone Thugs on, showing that the South isn't nearly as slow as their detractors believe; in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of the Mid-west spitting as fast as Trae does on this track. Meanwhile, one of the three singles from the album, In The Hood, is up next; featuring a beat similar to that of Joc's It's Goin' Down, Yung Joc and Big Pokey both guest on this track. While most maybe turned off by Joc's guest appearance, he manages to hold his own with the two Houston veterans, and In The Hood only boosts the expectations for the rest of this album.



Those expectations are continuously met throughout. With absolutely nothing falling under skip category, Trae gets So Gangsta with Bun B, before becoming Restless as he hooks up with the Outlawz' own Young Noble. There are many guest appearances found throughout the album, yet none of them are capable of taking the spotlight from Trae; he manages to shine on each and every track, no matter how talented his guest is, as he rightfully should; this is his show, after all. Featuring a diverse cast that ranges from UGK(on seperate tracks) and Three Six Mafia to Paul Wall and Jim Jones, Trae uses each guest spot effectively, bringing out the best in each of them, and amplifying the quality of this release.



Trae's Restless is a rare breed of album; one that can be banged in the whip, and in the headphones, equally effective in both scenarios. Trae's diverse nature as an artist is one rarely seen by underground emcees, and it's amazingly shocking to think that Trae still hasn't blow up as significantly as he should. It can be argued that Rap-A-Lot doesn't know how to promote artists properly(just look at Devin The Dude's new release), but it'd be worthless to blame anyone on Trae's obscurity; whether he stays a cult favorite or not is of no importance. What is important is that Trae was able to release one of the best hip-hop albums in recent memory, providing a release that is sure to only grow better with age. Support Trae, and purchase Restless."

Trea at his BEST

Christian Anderson | 04/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love all that Trae put out, but have to say this is one of his best yet. If you love this you will love Devin the Dude's new title Smoke Sessions Vol. 1"