Lil' Troy

Lil' Troy is a rapper and label executive from Houston, Texas, widely credited as one of the architects of the Houston rap scene in the 1990s. He founded the independent label Short Stop Records and used it to release music both for himself and for a roster of local Houston artists, helping build the infrastructure that later Southern rap acts would benefit from.

He is best known for the 1998 single «Wanna Be a Baller», a track that brought Houston's distinctive rap sound to a national audience and became a genuine crossover hit, later remixed and reissued in several versions including a chopped and screwed edition. The song's success helped spotlight the city's slower, syrupy production style and its car-culture-infused lyrical themes to listeners well beyond Texas.

Beyond his signature hit, Lil' Troy released other material such as «Still a Bitch» and «For Years», and remained an active presence in Houston rap through his label work, mentoring and platforming other regional artists during a period when the city's scene was gaining broader recognition.