Pastor Troy

Video Who Is Pastor Troy Recognized for the lyrical self-awareness, thoughtfulness, and sincerity he incorporated into his otherwise standard approach to Dirty South rap, Pastor Troy stands out from the crowd The rising MC of the South was trying to break through the nation in the early 2000s. Born Micah LeVar Troy on November 18, 1977, in College Park outside of Atlanta, GA, he was raised under the influence of His father, Alfred Troy, was a principled man of Haitian descent who was a drill instructor turned pastor. Street culture, and rap music in particular, also influenced Pastor Troy when he was a teenager at Creekside High School and later a student at Payne College. Pastor Troy first recorded in 1999 with We Ready – I Declare War, an underground album released by Madd Society Records. “No Mo Play in GA,” a Master P record, brought attention to the album and brought Pastor Troy some early fame. A subsequent pair of underground albums – Book I and Pastor Troy for President, both released in 2000 – set the stage for Pastor Troy’s major label debut, Face Off (2001). Released by Universal Records, the album was led by the non-charting single “This tha City” and included previously released material (e.g., “No Mo Play in GA”). Also in 2001, the DSGB group affiliated with Pastor Troy (i.e. Down South Georgia Boyz) made their debut on The Last Supper, released by Khaotic Generation Records. Pastor Troy’s second album for Universal, Universal Soldier (2002), is his most successful album. His first album, featuring brand new material, featured several Timbaland productions, including “Are We Cuttin,” which was released as a single. Lil Jon has also produced several songs (“Who, What, When, Where”, “For My Hustlaz”, “If They Kill Me”). Universal Soldier peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, while “Are We Cuttin” entered the Billboard Hot 100 (#96) – both the pinnacle of Pastor Troy’s career. By Any Means N Needary (2004), the follow-up album and “Ridin’ Big,” its lead single, could not match the commercial success of the previous installment, and thus Pastor Troy and Universal dissolved the important their partnership. Once again an independent rapper, Pastor Troy began releasing a variety of albums at a rapid pace: Face Off, Pt. 2 and Hood Hustlin’: The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 was released in 2005; Stay Tru, By Choice or Force, Down South Hood Hustlin, and Atlanta 2 Memphis in 2006; and Tool Muziq in 2007. Read more: 10 things you didn’t know about Acacia Brinley | Top Q&A