1.4.2023

Video: CEO Trayle – “Alter Ego 2“

The Atlanta-Based Rhymer Dramatizes His Inner Conflict in the Latest Video from the Acclaimed HH5 Mixtape

Critical Praise:

“The fifth installment of CEO Trayle’s Happy Halloween series unspools the rapper’s fears and sorrows into one of the most original rap albums of the year.” – Pitchfork

“So many rappers stay in one gear for an entire song, but Trayle’s music constantly shifts the rhythm, keeping your ears perked so you don’t get lost as he speeds up. He goes from biting punched-in threats and making singsong taunts to an ominous, slithery flow that leaves you looking behind your shoulder to make sure he isn’t talking about kicking in your backdoor.” – Pitchfork

“The hunger in his rapping turns every song into a boxing ring to prove himself victorious.” – The FADER

“Atlanta’s CEO Trayle is going hard in 2022. The rapper’s earned quite the reputation in the rap game over the past few years. Projects like the Happy Halloween series have cemented him as the one to look out for. “ – HotNewHipHop

“On his recent single, “OK Cool,” Trayle takes a conversational approach, making it clear that—no matter what anyone else in his life is on—he’s still up.” – Audiomack

The Video:

CEO Trayle’s twisty and conversational flow helps him stand apart in the street rap game. Turning his focus inward as he spars with his split personality, Trayle shares the video for “Alter Ego 2,” a tête a tête with C4, named as one of the 43 Best Rap Songs of 2022 by Pitchfork. With a sinuous beat produced by OG Parker, Beezo, DreGotJuice & Carson Hackney, “Alter Ego 2” interrogates Trayle’s conflicted mindset. Trayle attempts to better his life through his music, focusing on the positives as he raises his profile, while C4 attempts to drag him back into the streets, unable to shake the paranoia that accompanies the hustler lifestyle. “I know you shellshocked, b*tch, but everybody ain’t no enemy,” Trayle says, but an unconvinced C4 replies: “Whenever we do, n**** start to envy me/I done gave n*****s all the sympathy.”

Directed by AZae Production, the video uses camera trickery to dramatize the conversation between the song’s two characters. Dressed in all black, C4 smirks and counts his cash, while the orange-clad Trayle attempts to resist his charms and keep his life on the straight-and-narrow. “Alter Ego 2” is one of the key tracks from HH5, Trayle’s most recent mixtape.

Acclaimed by Pitchfork, who gave the mixtape its coveted Best New Music designation, HH5 establishes Trayle as one of the slickest talkers in a stacked ATL scene, twirling his soft-spoken and erudite delivery like a cartoon villain twirls his mustache. Creeping over instrumentals like Freddy Kreuger slips through subconsciouses, Trayle juxtaposes his sly wit with moments of pathos, toeing the line expertly on tape highlights like “We So Young” and “Took Some Time.” HH5 features some of Trayle’s most expansive production to date, with contributions from Dun Deal, OG Parker, Go Grizzly, Trauma Tone, and Trayle’s frequent collaborator Stribb, among many others. Home to standout singles like “Chokehold” and the complicated relationship anthem “I Love You But…,“ featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio, HH5 is available everywhere via Do What You Love/10K Projects.

HH5 was the crowning achievement in a breakout year for CEO Trayle. Capitalizing on the momentum of Trayle’s viral 2021 hit “Ok Cool,” which generated over 60 million streams and earned a remix from Gunna, 2022 saw the release of Vier, a four-track EP released in July alongside a Q&A with The FADER, and the 8-song mixtape The Collection, home to highlights like “Of Course,” the tape’s closing track. Trayle made a splash in Fall 2022 with his From The Block freestyle, where he performed his song “Song Cry,” which racked up over nearly 2 million views on YouTube.

With HH5 in the books and much more music to come, CEO Trayle is primed to take over the rap game.

Watch “Alter Ego 2” ft. C4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bViFyyLJo3s

Stream HH5: https://ceotrayle.lnk.to/HH5

Please contact Michelle, Kevin, or Chris or more info.

The Background:

CEO Trayle has a rare sense of vision. The prolific Atlanta-based rapper and CEO/founder of 1080 Trademark Records sees the music industry the way a great point guard does a basketball court. He understands cause-and-effect, knowing how dropping one frosty, minimalist single will shape the perception around his next project. But occasionally he exceeds even his own expectations. His breakout single, “OK Cool,” a deadpan rebuke to an ex, earned more than 60 million streams, even though Trayle didn’t foresee it as a blockbuster when he made it. The momentum from that track, and its Gunna-assisted remix, paved the way for The Collection, a thrilling, visceral release that showcases the 28-year-old MC’s multi-genre fluency.