2012’s Don’t Be S.A.F.E. flew under the radar for the hip-hop masses. Aside from smash hits “Female$ Welcomed” and “All Gold Everything”, nobody quite knew the true identity of Trinidad James. Many eyebrows were raised when James inked a deal with Def Jam worth $2 million. Skeptics argued that he would be a one-hit wonder, and fail to live up to expectations. With verses in both A$AP Ferg’s “Work Remix” and Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O. Remix”, hype continued to gather around the Atlanta native. Now, about a year after his debut, Trinidad James releases a ten-track mixtape overflowing with bass and ignorance.
Despite achieving fame and signing with a major record label, it is clear that Trinidad James has stuck to his roots. Likewise Don’t Be S.A.F.E., 10 Pc. Mild offers a rowdy, authentic listening experience from start to finish. Though only ten tracks deep, 10 Pc. Mild has an incredibly high replay value due to its substance. The production is booming, and guest features from Cyhi The Prynce, Danny Brown, and Childish Gambino among others add flavor to the project.
Wasting no time, Trinidad starts off the tape with a trio of bangers. Following the powerful intro track “Wut El$e”, Cyhi The Prynce delivers a memorable verse on “Material Thing$ Are Hard To Deal With”. After an entertaining first couple songs, “$hut Up” featuring Travi$ Scott grabs all the attention due to its blaring beat, which is co-produced by trap-mastermind Young Chop. The track is beyond ignorant, and sets the tone for the remainder of the tape.
Although the majority of tracks have room-shaking capability, “Hip$ter $trip Club” is a break from the madness. This wavy track sounds like an A$AP Rocky and Clams Casino collaboration, but shows Trinidad’s effort to become more versatile as an artist. Because of its uniqueness, “Hip$ter $trip Club” stands as one of the most noteworthy songs on the project.
Arguably the toughest track on the mixtape serves as the outro, “Ea$tside”. Trinidad rounds up a squadron of Georgia rappers to drop a verse, most notably Childish Gambino. He raps, “Back for more, fuck it, I’mma rap some more/ I got some white girls with me like I’m Macklemore/ My back is sore, from whippin’ in the Jaguar/ I’m the G.O.A.T. like a motherfucking Capricorn”. Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, and Alley Boy are also featured on the song.
It is difficult to dislike Trinidad James. He has steadily pushed past doubters, and today stands as one of the hottest rappers from Atlanta. 10 Pc. Mild is an all-around improvement from his first mixtape, and includes several potential hit songs. For Def Jam, it seems that the risk has paid off. Trinidad James continues to be one of the realest dudes in the rap game.