Check Out Trae Burgess’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trae Burgess.

Hi Trae, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
I’ve been in love with creation/creativity since birth really. When I was about 6 or 7, paint, pencils, and a sketchbook were on my Christmas list, and I was too excited opening and starting my first one. That joy turned into a love for poetry early on and finding interesting ways to convey a meaning or feeling through the least amount of words – or syllables- possible, Haiku being my favorite. So, as I grew into my early teens, still drawing/painting and filling lil notebooks with poems while also trying new things and discovering what I truly enjoy (sn: I was a skater at through most of my teens. like from 12-17, skateboarding was life ong) and want to DO or BE, I kept getting drawn back to the arts. I learned how to read, sightread, and play music in middle school and found talent in it for sure. I didn’t know the real value in having an ear that can catch onto harmonies, scales, and octaves with relative ease. I really had no interest in playing “traditional” orchestral style music at all, but I loved rap/hip-hop, soul, and neo-soul music, as well as R&B. And at 15-16, the mental connection sparked to write raps. I loved lyricism and poetry heavily appreciated art and music in general, but didn’t care for playing overtures and ballads for a career. Rapping was my only logical conclusion lol. 

And long story short, I over time, expanded my creative palette. Through finding friends and brothers-in-arms that pushed me to push myself at EMU, I gained knowledge in producing, engineering, graphic design, creative direction, set-making, styling, etc. I like to dip my toes in pretty much everything, but writing songs and expressing my perspective and stories is a feeling I can’t – and never want – to shake. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all, in the slightest. Even when I was gaining a lot of momentum, I still had challenges. Staying consistent with writing, pushing my pen and flows, dealing with BS engineers that don’t/won’t mix properly, struggling to get paid for performances and features… It tests your resilience and discipline in too many ways man. But without a doubt, losing loved ones killed me; I’m ngl. That’s a more personal obstacle, but it’s been my hardest to truly overcome so far. Grief can freeze a person! I been thawing myself out for a few years now, but we move yfm. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think what makes me special is my approach to writing and flow. I was told often that I can be like, cryptic in my verses and like vibey in my flows. Growing into my creative voice, early on I liked to challenge myself to craft intricate verses with multi-level references, extended metaphors, and interlaced rhyming schemes – dense readings lol. Sometimes it worked; most times it didn’t. But I took that practice and applied it to beats that I’d hear and instantly Feel something from when I know where I want to go and what I want to say off rip. So, nowadays I find myself tight roping between letting go and leaning in, yfm? Staying vulnerable and true to exactly how it feels while trying to craft a seemingly measured and meticulous framing for it all to exist. I take pride in stepping back and seeing a full picture of snapshots 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Umm, nah not necessarily. A couple cool, uplifting YouTube channels for creatives, a few producer pages I follow and that’s about it, I think. Shoutout to Maschine, Logic, and DaVinci Resolve tho 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stanthethird/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanLeeThree
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/stanthethird
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF-kqF1ix0C1kpCluo7rxNQ
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2YqhgaJk6W03sgAApu7Lzz