4.3.2023

Video: CEO Trayle – “Meant 4 You“

Produced by B.Stribb, “Meant 4 You” is a Glistening Highlight From the Acclaimed Rapper’s Brand New The Collection Vol. 2 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:

Approaching beats from odd angles with his methodical flow, CEO Trayle is impossibly smooth. Taking time to look inward over a soulful instrumental, Trayle shares “Meant 4 You,” the latest music video from The Collection Vol. 2. Produced by B.Stribb, “Meant 4 You” blesses Trayle with an inviting canvas on which to paint, layering haunting vocal samples with a dancing bassline, rippling piano chords, and insistent 808s. Adhering to the contours of the beats with whispering come ons and the occasional verbal sound effect, Trayle plays the role of a lothario, but can’t keep the traumatic thoughts from creeping in: “And when they called and said my brother died, I hit the flo’,” he rhymes before a pregnant pause. In the video, directed by Decat, Trayle rocks an Avirex letterman jacket as he surreptitiously sets a building aflame.

Over the course of 12 tracks, The Collection Vol. 2 further explores the haunting, yet luscious trap sound he explored on his acclaimed 2022 HH5 mixtape, featuring rich contributions from producers like Trauma Tone, Stribb, and Yung Icey. Throughout the tape, Trayle creates a world fit for a film noir, filled with femme fatales and danger around every corner. The follow-up to last year’s The Collection, an 8-song mixtape home to highlights like “Of Course,” The Collection Vol. 2 shows how far the Atlanta-based rapper has come in the past year. The Collection Vol. 2 is home to “Brody Trippin,” a collaboration with PDE signee and rising Atlanta star Baby Drill, “CrxckFlow II,” a sequel to a highlight from HH5, and the viral “Song Cry,” originally released as a From The Block freestyle that racked up over 3.1 million views. The Collection Vol. 2 is available everywhere via Do What You Love/10K Projects.

2022 was a breakout year for CEO Trayle, packed with critical acclaim and new commercial landmarks. The rapper known as “Mr. Back Door” ended the year on a high note, sharing HH5, which Pitchfork blessed with 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. 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, and is home to the complicated relationship anthem “I Love You But…,“ featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio. HH5 capitalized on the momentum generated by Trayle’s viral 2021 hit “Ok Cool,” which generated over 60 million streams and earned a remix from Gunna.

With The Collection Vol. 2 in the books and much more music to come, CEO Trayle is primed to take over the rap game.

Watch “Meant 4 You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2jFtFm1AiM

Stream The Collection Vol. 2: https://ceotrayle.lnk.to/tc2

Please contact Michelle 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.