Tre Butler: Album Review
When an artist creates while grieving, it is an act of self-healing. Emotional enchantment where their art meets a wound in hopes that it can begin to lessen a pain that all else fails to alleviate.
Whenever I discover a new artist, I treat it like discovering gold that no one else knew of. Or at least what many may have come across, they were just blind to its shimmer. I likely don’t tell anyone I’ve found gold until I test it to see that it is actually that. Then, once proven, I share.
I have an eye for gold, even in its unrefined stages. A seed is still a flower. A bed of soil is still a garden. Rappers aren’t just great when they arrive at a status of undeniable greatness, but what happens in between is what makes them great.
Tre Butler Jr., an independent artist from St. Petersburg, Florida approached the making of this project with intentionality. Lacing his bars with soul-searching and introspective musings, his style of rap likely convinces listeners that he only gets behind a mic if he has something to say. I once read, “a wise man speaks because he has something to say. A fool speaks because he has to say something.” Tre had something to say on this album.
Tracklisting alone is reflective of his lyrical prowess. Playing words against each other like “paradise/pair of dice,” “Reign Still Shine” and paralleling worlds with song titles like “empty bottles/April 20th.” These details reflect an artist who values every detail of their craft, even the smallest. This can sometimes kill us creatively. But dying by your own art will always be a beautiful death.
Tre weaves grief into this project fluently. We are never entitled to an artist’s grief, so when they invite us into this space through their art, we should be careful with how we handle it. The rawness and agony of tracks like “empty bottles/April 20th” makes the picture painted vivid enough to help us feel as though we were with him during his father’s passing.
“96’ Benz” was easily one of my favorite tracks after the first listen. The sound of an old engine revving during its opening is followed by the repeated loop of a voice trilling over track-saving kicks and 808s. An artless display of his southern influence. I believed his intoning towards the end could have played as a repeated hook throughout the song.
“Head high” was a moment on the album for me. Almost like time stopped the project in its tracks and allowed for momentary relief and hope (no pun intended), to slowly patch the wounds Tre was allowing air to hit. A moment where I imagine the sun peeking through the clouds and the welcoming of a new day. What I typically would call “Saturday morning raps.” Tre repeatedly shows that he has the voice to create memorable hooks himself without needing an assist from other artists.
“Temptation” was likely a song for his feature to shine. Joness, during her appearance, treats the track as if it is her own, stealing the show. With a soothing, honeyed intoning she makes her vocals memorable and repeatable, like an earworm that won’t leave. Over a somber instrumental he navigates the generational weight of interracial dating on “Hope,” channeling his ability to vulnerably tell stories and reflect on his experiences.
“Paradise/Pair of Dice” is another song that is a pivotal point in the story being told. Tre subtly cycles through different vocal timbres and inflections, showing vocal versatility. Actually, there are no throw-away tracks on the project. Each song makes the next one worth hearing, or you’re likely to miss out on what is holding the album together.
“Gemiinii” Made me think of “Gem in I” and “Him in I.” Just rap speculations. The sounds of duality, likely reflecting his internal tug-of-war given his racial background and realities. I once heard of a rapper with a “Gemini alter-ego.” I am not a Gemini but the trend is noticeable. Similar to the reference to duality in not reflecting his father’s least desirable habits on “Junior.”
This album was released in 2018 but feels so fresh to my ears. With polished production, lyrical density, and efforts made to perfect even the smallest details. The thing about classics is that they will always outlast time and live up to what we believe to be an artist’s best work. Tre grieved his way through this project and invited us to walk this path with him. Regardless of where rap takes him, and no matter what happens after any needed co-sign he may receive, What Happened Before will always matter more. Glad to know I just discovered more gold.
Top 3 tracks: Head High/Temptations/Pray
3-Track Run: Temptations/Empty Bottles/April 20th/Paradise/Pair of Dice.
That was a bar:
- “would I keep my head up high, knowing paradise is out, now the temptation risin’ as the hope is pourin’ out”
- “You In the mind of a hustler that see a black card, not the black they pull to set me back. Ah damn.”
- “I ain’t shit without my pain, that’s why these Niggas feel me”
