Cowboy Troy

Rapper Cowboy Troy burst onto the country landscape in 2004 by fusing country and rap into the style he dubbed hick-hop. His debut album Loco Motive arrived in 2005 and gained traction through ties to the Big & Rich “Muzik Mafia,” yet the artist sustained momentum well beyond the chart success of “I Play Chicken with the Train,” remaining active through the 2010s.

Exposure came first via his featured turn on the Big & Rich single “Rollin’ (The Ballad of Big & Rich),” which landed him on CMT and in honky-tonk DJ crates across the country, although his connection to the duo and to country music itself stretched back more than ten years. In 1993, while living in his native Dallas, Troy Coleman—professionally known as Cowboy Troy—met John Rich, then performing with Texassee, the group that later became Lonestar. Raised on Jerry Reed, Charlie Daniels, and the Oak Ridge Boys while also absorbing Kiss, ZZ Top, Run-D.M.C., and Sir Mix-A-Lot, Troy discovered a kindred spirit in Rich, whose country foundation likewise welcomed outside influences. The two stayed in contact as Rich guided Lonestar to prominence.

By 1999 Troy had secured a leave from his managerial post at a Foot Locker store and traveled to Nashville to pitch rap-country demos. Rich had since teamed with Big Kenny to stage their “Muzik Mafia” showcases, events celebrated for bold experimentation; Troy’s approach meshed immediately, and he spent the next three years sharpening his stage presence. Readiness paid off when Big & Rich invited him onto their first album. Horse of a Different Color achieved major success, and the ensuing sold-out tour showcased Cowboy Troy in a standout slot. A joint performance of “Rollin’ (The Ballad of Big & Rich)” at the 2004 Country Music Association Awards marked only the second appearance by a Black artist at the event, following Charley Pride by thirty-eight years.

Soon afterward Cowboy Troy signed with Warner Bros. Nashville and began recording his debut under Big & Rich’s production. Loco Motive reached stores in May 2005 while its lead single, the energetic “I Play Chicken with the Train,” ascended the charts. He next served as co-host of CMT’s Nashville Star alongside Wynonna Judd one season and Jewel the next. The more introspective follow-up Black in the Saddle appeared in 2007. One year later he performed at the Republican National Convention and exited Warner Bros. His 2009 release, Demolition Mission: Studio Blue Sessions, emerged on the independent Winding Road label. Strong sales restored his standing at Warner Nashville, which issued the third album, King of Clubs, in spring 2014. The following year brought the independent project Saloons on Neptune. Cowboy Troy returned to a major label with the 2018 album Laugh with Me.