6.9.2023

Video: CEO Trayle – “Watching Me Grow“

The Slick-Talking ATL Rapper Tracks His Upward Trajectory in His Latest Single

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:

Free associating slick punchlines with his soft-spoken flow, CEO Trayle pioneered his own style of highfalutin trap music. Unleashing his latest torrent of savvy street talk, Trayle shares “Watching Me Grow.” Twirling his metaphorical mustache as he snakes around jazzy flutes, haunting vocal samples, and twinkling keys, Atlanta’s most villainous emcee draws from his bottomless bag of rhymes, starting from the bottom (“Type of n**** we thought he was gonna go broke on a chain”), before revealing his how rhyming success changed his family’s perspective: “All my bruddas, they watching me grow/My big sister, she proud of lil’ bro,” says Trayle. Shot in cinematic black-and-white, the video for “Watching Me Grow” finds Trayle in his element, as he cooks up in the studio and delivers his marathon verse.

Quickly following “Paul Walker” and “xXxtortion,” “Watching Me Grow” is the latest video to emerge in the wake of Trayle’s late March mixtape, The Collection Vol. 2. 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 Collection Vol. 2 is home to the FADER-acclaimed video single “Pardon My Playa,” “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. Home to the complicated relationship anthem “I Love You But…,“ featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio, 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 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 “Watching Me Grow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lYop8uwkO8

Stream “Watching Me Grow” on all platforms on June 23rd.

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.