Trouble. Photo by Nate Shuls.
Mariel Semonte Orr, the Atlanta rapper known as Trouble, has passed away, his label Def Jam confirmed in a post on Sunday. He was 34. A cause of death was not revealed as of press time, and The FADER has reached out to Trouble's representatives for more information.
Born in Atlanta, Trouble spent his early life caught up in the streets of Atlanta before turning to rap in his teens. December 17, his first mixtape, was released in 2011, and featured the well-loved track "Bussin." Trouble's buzz as a street rapper to watch grew steadily over the next five years, though his career was derailed by run-ins with law, including a 55-day prison sentence for drug possession in 2017. "Maybe it was a test from the big God," Trouble told The FADER in 2018, "Like, 'I need to see you through some trials and see if you’re going to stand tall, make sure you’re ready for this shit.'"
Trouble was signed to Mike WiLL Made-It's Ear Drummer Records in 2017. Edgewood, his debut studio album released in 2018, featured appearances from Drake, the Weeknd, Quavo, Fetty Wap, and Boosie Badazz. "At the end of the day, I just ain’t no savage-ass nigga," Trouble said of his music. "I come from this shit, so I know what it feels like to be in these certain positions that these folks be in. I just be trying to uplift everybody."
Tributes to Trouble were led by Mike WiLL and Trouble's ex-girlfriend Alexis Skye, with artists from the Atlanta rap community and beyond paying homage.
