“Everybody be glorifying the bullsh**,” states Mariel Semonte Orr, better known as Trouble or “Atlanta’s Godfather” with raps that border between pivotal life advice and critical reflections. As for what is glorified and top charted today, Trouble pays no heed to, instead focusing on staying authentic to himself and his experiences. And that grittiness and authenticity has translated well for the rapper, certifying him as a true hip-hop artist with poetic flows that match up to life’s raw and perhaps more painful moments.

Slowly and steadily releasing a slew of mix tapes over the years such as All on Me (2014), #ZayDidIt (2015), Skoob Fresh (2015), Skoobzilla (2016), and Year in 2016 (2017), Trouble has been gaining a slow, but certainly valuable and quality-over-quantity momentum in the rap game. Along with features with Gucci Mane and Young Thug, spots on “Rappers to Watch For” lists and a collaboration with YFN Lucci that reached number 70 on Billboard’s Hot 100, the rapper’s newest album dives headfirst into Trouble’s world and features major hip-hop stars, certified authentic by the rapper himself.

Named after the Atlanta projects he grew up in, Trouble’s latest album, Edgewood, chronicles the Atlanta-born rapper’s come up, various life experiences and, bearing truth to his name, troubles. The album, executive produced by Mike Will Made It, features artists such as Drake, Quavo, The Weeknd, and Fetty Wap alongside a short film also based on the rapper’s life—particularly when he was caught during a home invasion and his two year stint in prison. The album equally asserts Trouble’s status as an exceptional, critical rapper as it does Mike Will’s gift for production. A complex, nearly gothic production lays out the album’s first single, “Bring it Back” featuring Drake, for Trouble’s heavy-hitting words delivered with assertiveness and his slight Southern drawl.

Unlike most others signed to Mike Will’s label, Trouble, who was signed earlier this year to Ear Drummer Records, is far from any associations of a pop-oriented rapper, instead qualifying as an utterly and exclusively rapper focused on rap with a realism that does not hold back under the umbrella of Atlanta’s enticing underworld. This can be traced back to Trouble as a 17-year-old in his beginnings freestyling with his friends—many of whom are still serving sentences— about what they saw and did on a daily basis.

The street rapper used to skip school to make songs to prepare for weekend house parties and often found himself with his crew encircled with groups of people watching them freestyle and beatboxing. This spirit still carries over to the rapper’s music today, but on an even “deeper level”, as he finds himself continuing this legacy alone. Similarly traceable in his music are the rapper’s influences, such as Tupac, B.G., and Boots Riley—a style that is akin to the OGs of the rap game while simultaneously something altogether different and unique.

Unlike other cities, Atlanta, as Trouble puts it, “gives off so much life” and one can constantly be on the move and find this life anywhere at any given time in the city. While much of his personal experiences are embedded in his songs, particularly Trouble’s favorite and most personal track “Hurt Real Bad”, the rapper’s music also ignites this deep, complicated love for his city. Just as his words and collaborators stay true to his identity, so does his surrounding environment, as the rapper continues to be based in his hometown and plays an active role in the local community and fulfilling his status as “Atlanta’s Godfather.” More of an artist than a mob boss, despite his crime-ridden past, Trouble, through his music and vision, indicates to the credibility and creativity that can be achieved on and rooted in the streets and staying true to one’s roots—and especially so in Edgewood.