North Carolina rapper YSB Tril is a newcomer to Hip Hop, but he’s already broken out in a way that’s giving him a platform and putting some coins in his pocket. Brand collaborations are one of the ways rappers are gaining popularity these days as their likeness and music appear alongside a company’s product.

We’ve seen artists such as Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Rick Ross and more partner up with popular companies at the height of their careers. However, there’s a place for the youngsters to come in and tap into the market, too.

Before becoming a rapper, YSB Tril was a high school football player with dreams of going to the NFL. According to YSB, he was like any other kid in North Carolina that grew up playing sports; you either stick with it or find something else that inspires you.

“I feel like every kid that played sports, their dream was to really take it to the next level,” YSB tells HipHopDX. “But then, as I got older, I really realized that’s not actually what I want to do. I only wanted to do that just because it was like what sounded good, I guess.”

 

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A post shared by trilly . (@ysbtril)

YSB started out as a receiver before switching to tight end his senior year of high school. He felt the position switch was odd given the size difference between himself and the much bigger linemen.

“Shit was terrible,” says YSB. “So bad. I was 160 pounds playing tight end. That’s crazy. 300 pound linemen, just picking me up, putting me where they want me.”

YSB Tril figured he was done with football and put all his focus on his music. A few months would go by, and an opportunity came knocking on his door. Famous video game company EA Sports was looking for artists to feature on the Madden 22 soundtrack in partnership with Interscope Records, to which YSB Tril is signed. The 19-year-old would eventually find his way on the soundtrack with the song “Count Me In,” which also got a special visual treatment.

“So the people at Madden were doing a collab album with my label, but I was kind of pitching some stuff to the lady who does that earlier on,” says YSB Tril. “I was just pitching everything I could to her and it just so happened that one landed.”

He continues, “It’s crazy, bro. I’ve been playing that since I was a kid. You can only imagine that feeling. And then plus, all my homies back home they’re calling me, ‘Yo, bro. I heard you on Madden.’ It just feels really good, honestly.”

thank you @NBA2K for this opportunity! 🖤🙏🏽🏀 https://t.co/gkxjBZhwiS

— trilly . ☆ (@ysbtril) November 16, 2020

YSB’s lyrical talents extend way past football, as also he landed a spot on 2K’s best-selling series NBA 2K. Not only did he get to perform at NBA 2K21 Presents: 2K Fest last year, he also saw his song “Do The Most” featured on the next-gen soundtrack. Although he’s happy about his inclusion on these popular video game soundtracks, YSB is making it clear there’s more to him than just that.

“Things just kind of ended up that way for me and it’s not like I planned on making songs for these video games,” adds YSB Tril. “I never go into making a song like, ‘Oh, this could be good on TikTok’ or, ‘I want to make a song for this.’ I just kind of make the song and then judge it afterward and see where I can put it after. I feel like that’s the best way because when you try to go into it and make something just for a specific reason, usually it doesn’t come out the way you want it too.”

Stay tuned for more of our conversation with YSB Tril coming soon.