Lil’ Troy sits among an exclusive list of rap legends that have hailed from the great city of Houston, Texas.
Born Troy Birklett, the rapper who used to work valet — record executive J. Prince revealed in an interview released early 2021 that Lil Troy used to valet his vehicles — parlayed his way to success and fame when he created his record label Short Stop and dropped the infamous single “Wanna Be A Baller” from his 1999 album Sittin’ Fat Down South.
The Billboard charting song featured most of that exclusive list of poetic legends, such as Fat Pat, H.A.W.K., Big T, and Lil’ Will, all who have died in tragic circumstances. Yungstar, who was also featured, is the last standing artist besides Lil’ Troy. That all could have changed, however, if Lil’ Troy didn’t escape a blazing fire that set his 18-wheeler into flames.
Now a full-fledged truck driver, Lil’ Troy was on his way home from a trip to Arkansas when smoke begin to seep from the hood of the truck. He quickly parked the vehicle on the side of the highway, removed himself from the area, and called for help. The incident filmed on his cellphone showed his newly purchased truck completely destroyed. But, his life was still intact.
“I think God got a better plan for me,” Lil’ Troy said. “I was thinking about my family. They need me. It’s not time to go, right now. I just had to stay calm.”
Despite the loss, Lil’ Troy will continue to drive trucks for a living. Meanwhile, fans are relieved that the near death experience didn’t take away another legendary H-Town artist that contributed to the classic hit “Wanna Be A Baller.”
