All Day Trey: Hip-hop's Ray of Sunshine
Photo by April Massey
Spokane area hip-hop artist All Day Trey describes himself as a sunshine rapper. His serene energy and bright aesthetic provide a powerful vehicle for poignant lyrics. Addressing subjects like self-love, mental health, and sexuality, Trey is among a new generation of hip-hop artists pushing against the outdated stereotypes that persist within the genre. I sat down with Trey, ahead of his Treefort Music Festival debut, to discuss his music and how it fits into the larger hip-hop landscape. Do not miss All Day Trey’s Treefort performance Saturday, March 26th, at The Funky Taco in downtown Boise.
AM: The Pacific Northwest has not been traditionally known as a mecca for hip-hop like New York or California. Do you think being in an area not as well known for hip-hop hinders you? Or does it help, especially since your music touches on subjects not typically discussed in the genre?
Trey: I think coming from an area that is not traditionally a hip-hop mecca is actually somewhat of an advantage. Spokane might not have the infrastructure that other cities or regions do for hip-hop, but because we do not have that precedence, it gives us a blank canvas where we can make our own sound and be very original. All Northwest hip-hop artists are very unique, and they give you a lot of different sounds that you do not get from more traditional hip-hop mecca areas. It is just a free-for-all out there, with everyone putting their talents on display. It is really cool to be a part of.
AM: You are a part of a wave of younger artists who have brought a different perspective and aesthetic to hip-hop. Do you see this wave of newer artists making headway in changing some of the outdated stereotypes that are still associated with the genre? What are some of the challenges you have faced in pushing back against those?
Trey: I would definitely say the wave of younger artists branching away from what is traditionally known as hip-hop has faced a lot of challenges. But, I see people continue to break down walls and push barriers to what is excepted in the community, and overall, this is making hip-hop a much more excepting genre. When I first started making rap at sixteen, I was terrified of anyone finding out I was queer or feminine. I feel like with the emergence of artists like Tylor The Creator, Lil Nas X, and Kevin Abstract; there is queer representation that was not there before. People are just being very unapologetically themselves; they are being bright, colorful, and expressing themselves in any way they see fit.
AM: Your music talks about self-love and mental health; you also identify as pansexual. Can you speak about the importance of representation?
Trey: I deal with mental health issues in my personal life and within my family. Self-love, mental health, self-care, removing toxic people from your life are all things that I wanted to bring to the forefront because they are not normally rapped about. If you google “pansexual hip-hop,” I’m like the top result right now. Pansexuality and bisexuality are more excepted for women, but it is still very taboo for men. It is just something they are not comfortable presenting to the world. I wanted to take that step forward to provide that representation. I hope that by doing that, I can make other artists feel more comfortable in this space.
AM: How important is it for you to participate in a festival that champions independent and emerging artists like Treefort? What role do you think Treefort plays in the larger festival scene?
Trey: Treefort is the first big festival that I’ve been given the opportunity to be a part of, and I’m very happy to be here. It has been great to be surrounded by so many talented creatives. Coming out of a little town like Spokane, Washington, being recognized and booked at a festival across state lines is huge. I think Treefort plays a role similar to what South By Southwest does in the south—bringing in emerging artists who are trying to break through and giving them a platform to display their talents for new audiences.
AM: What music are you listening to right now that you are excited about?
Trey: First and foremost, Tobi Lou just dropped a new album. I consider myself a sunshine rapper, which is a term we both coined, so as far as any other sunshine rappers go, he is at the top of my list. I’m a big fan of the Northwest artist, Payday. She is one of the best songwriters and lyricists. She can rap her butt off. Enumclaw’s new single, 2002, I have been really jamming to that.
AM: Who are some of the artists you are excited to see at Treefort?
Trey: I’m really excited to see Enumclaw; I’ll keep gasing them up. Kung Fu Vinyl and Jango are two other Spokane hip-hop acts; I’m going to go show love and support to them.
This interview has been edited and condensed
