Obie Trice

Detroit rapper Obie Trice rose through his hometown’s thriving hip-hop community at the turn of the century as an associate of Eminem, by far the most prominent figure to emerge from Detroit’s rap world. His irreverent, rough-neck approach aligned with the unfiltered, aggressive aesthetic shared by Motor City contemporaries such as D12 and Royce da 5'9". That approach surfaced prominently on his 2003 debut studio album Cheers, issued through Eminem’s Shady Records imprint.

Born in 1977 and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Trice began rapping in childhood after his mother gave him a karaoke machine he used to record over beats by Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A. He steadily sharpened his skills, circulating mixtapes and entering local underground rap battles under the name Obie 1. Mutual contacts in D12 connected him with Eminem, who signed him to the newly launched Shady Records in 2000. Trice’s earliest appearances included a skit on D12’s Devil’s Night album (“Obie Trice [Intro]”; 2001), followed by guest spots on The Eminem Show (“Drips”; 2002) and the 8 Mile soundtrack (“Love Me,” “Adrenaline Rush,” and “Rap Name”; 2002). His own debut studio album, Cheers, arrived in 2003, earned platinum certification, and was followed by completion of its successor by the close of 2005.

On New Year’s Eve 2006, while driving home from a Detroit club with his girlfriend, Trice suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He managed to leave the freeway, after which an ambulance transported him to a Southfield hospital; surgeons determined that extraction of the bullet posed excessive risk, and he was discharged within hours. In the wake of that incident and the fatal shooting of D12’s Proof—a close friend who had joined him at the hospital—Trice added fresh material to the already finished project. Second Round’s on Me finally appeared in August 2006. Two years later he departed Shady Records, citing insufficient promotional support, while emphasizing that Eminem bore no responsibility and that their personal relationship remained intact. A period of mixtapes and guest features continued until 2012, when Bottoms Up marked his first release on his own Black Market Entertainment label. Dr. Dre handled production on the title track, while Eminem contributed vocals to “Richard” and produced “Going Nowhere.” Three years afterward came his fourth album, The Hangover, featuring appearances by Young Buck, J-Nutty, and additional artists. His fifth album, The Fifth, followed in 2019.