Despite his participation in XXL Magazine's 2012 Freshman Class with Macklemore, Danny Brown, and Future plus collaborations alongside Memphis rap legends Juicy J and Young Dolph, Don Trip continues to embody the ethos of a street rapper from his hometown. An unyielding work ethic produced a consistent succession of mixtapes, EPs, and assorted projects issued within months of one another, extending from independent mixtape releases throughout the late 2000s into fully developed studio albums such as 2023's The Devil You Know.
Christopher Wallace, born in Memphis, Tennessee, navigated an upbringing in one of the city's more challenging districts where his family faced ongoing financial difficulties. He entered the workforce at age twelve, and three years later the examples set by Jay-Z, 2Pac, and, in an unexpected twist, the chart success of child pop rap duo Kriss Kross prompted him to begin rapping with the goal of supporting his relatives. Although active since the mid-2000s, his release schedule turned markedly prolific shortly after the decade's end. During 2011 alone he issued installments from two distinct solo mixtape series—one themed around the Human Torch and another around the Terminator—teamed with Nashville native Starlito for Step Brothers, and reached Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart via the single "Letter to My Son," which appeared on Cool & Dre's Interscope-affiliated First Family imprint. Step Brothers Two arrived in 2013, after which he returned to solo output with the independent projects Godspeed, The Head That Wears the Crown, and 2 Clip Trip, all issued across 2015 and 2016. He and Starlito reunited for Step Brothers Three in 2017. The next year brought the full-length Christopher, featuring appearances by Jus Bentley, Starlito, 8Ball, Singa B, and Bink4sho. His customary pace of releases showed no signs of slowing, and in addition to numerous guest contributions on other artists' tracks the ensuing years included multiple mixtapes, the 2021 album Pray God's Not Watching, the 2022 mixtape Christopher: Season 2, and several EPs. The 2023 album The Devil You Know incorporated guest work from his now-regular collaborator Starlito as well as Kendrick P., Casino Jizzle, and additional artists.
