Trina

Miami-based rapper Trina (Katrina Laverne Taylor) arrived with an appearance on Trick Daddy's "Nann" (1998), a track that showcased her unapologetically raw and raunchy style and reached the Top Five of the Billboard rap chart. After she officially joined Trick Daddy as a member of the Slip-n-Slide label roster, Trina made her solo debut with the Atlantic-distributed Da Baddest Bitch (2000), an album eventually certified gold by the RIAA. She paired up with a higher-profile cast of collaborators, including Missy Elliott, Eve, Just Blaze, and Kanye West, for Diamond Princess (2002), her first in a long streak of full-lengths that reached the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. The similarly star-studded and very polished Glamorest Life (2005) contained the Top 20 pop hit "Here We Go," a ballad featuring Kelly Rowland with additional songwriting input from Teedra Moses. Following the less slick Still da Baddest (2008) and more sophisticated Amazin' (2010), Trina left Slip-n-Slide and continued activity with mixtape releases, occasional singles, and appearances on numerous tracks headlined by Juicy J, K. Michelle, and Run the Jewels. Supported by Penalty Entertainment and the pre-release single "Damn," featuring Tory Lanez, Trina sealed a several-year gap between proper albums with The One (2017). ~ Heather Phares & Andy Kellman