Month: January 2015

beats studios headphones Teen rapper releases first album

TRAVERSE CITY Trey Wilcox answers to the name Duble U a play on the first letter of his family name when he is on stage.

Wilcox, 16, released his first hip hop album called “Unstable EP” at Studio Anatomy in September.

He said he was 12 when he first heard rapper Dr. Dre’s songs. A year later, he decided he wanted to do more than just listen to rap he wanted to lend his voice to the microphone.

“At first, I didn’t really think about going to a studio,” Wilcox said. “I just wrote it.”

When friends and family saw his work, they encouraged him to pursue it. He said he spent the last year in the studio recording and working odd jobs around town to earn money for the project.

His songs draw from his personal experiences with bullying, moving around a lot and not having a lot of money growing up. He said he has been “hit down but can get back up.”

“I like to say what I want to say without having to be shut down,” Wilcox said. “I’d like people to realize that if they’re in a bad place, they’re not alone and to stand up for themselves.”

Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and 50 Cent are all on Wilcox’s list of influences, but one stood out.

“What made me really want to do it was Eminem,” he said. “They’re the brutally honest types. It’s no filters music.”

Jeff Haas, a local jazz musician,

said he first discovered Wilcox’s work through social media.

“I was attracted to his ability to craft prose,” he said.

Haas grew up in Detroit in the 1960s and counts jazz, Motown and rap among his influences.

“Spoken word engaged me I was really drawn to that,” he said. “I was engaged by some of the issues Trey was addressing. He’s had his share of challenges.”

Haas invited Wilcox to perform with his band and other middle and high school students at Chateau Chantal in September. This was one of Wilcox’s first concerts as Duble U.

There were some conditions for the rapper to participate. Haas told him he could not swear because it was an all ages event and to create extended raps that addressed social issues, like racism.

The audience enjoyed Wilcox’s style and message, Haas said.

“It opened their minds and ears to a positive side to the art form with rap,” he said. “He slowed down and explained his message. He’s a deeply talented young man and a deep thinker.”

Haas added that he is planning to do more with Wilcox in the future.

“He likes a lot of things associated with the rap world, but he’s a great example of not judging a book by its cover,” he said. “He’s a good example of a person who needs to be heard because he’s going to make a difference in the world.”

Wilcox said he was initially unsure about working with Haas, because he thought jazz and rap were completely opposite styles.

However, he said Haas showed him that they both express feelings.

“He kind of mentored me,” Wilcox said. “He made me learn what it’s like to be a musician, rather than just making a song.”

Wilcox is currently working on his second album, called “Broken Glass LP.” He said it will contain 15 songs,

similar content to his extended play and some humor.