Today we had an exclusive chance to interview rapper Trespeace:
What is your legal name and age?
My name is Lawrence Oliver III, and I am 28 years old.
What is your stage name and how did you come up with it?
My stage name is Trespeace “Trey piece”. Tres (silent S) is the nickname my parents gave since I am the 3rd. I played on the phrase trey piece and made it my own.
Where are you from?
I’m from a suburb of Chicago. Orland Park, IL.
Where are you now?
Right now I am in the Philippines with my wife. We’ve been traveling SE Asia since 2019, and the island of Boracay is currently our home base.
Who would you say inspired you the most, as an artist?
My dad without a doubt inspired me the most. He is a drummer and taught me my first beat when I was six. This in turn led to me joining percussion in my school band, which in turn (through learning notes on the xylophone) led me to study the piano for 17+ years. Not to mention the collection of records and diverse music my father played while I was growing up. From Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, to Sypro Gyra and Hillsong. I can say confidently my father has had a huge hand in molding my sonic perception.
What’s your latest release?
My latest release is called “Ube”. It’s a single which I produced, wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered here on the island of Borocay. Ube is a purple yam indigenous to the Philippines and I’ve only become aware of it through my travels. I relate the color to the 3rd eye chakra in my song. My spiritual development and my experiences traveling have gone hand and hand, so I felt compelled to put those two concepts on a track.
What would you have done differently if you knew then what you know now?
I am always seeing things that I can do differently. My wife and I own a multi-media company, Wave Enterprise. Being an entrepreneur and a musician with a thirst to develop puts me in a continuous learning mindset. For example, I have already developed my audio engineering skills in just the last few months and there are things about my latest release “Ube” that I would have done differently had I known what I know now.
What surprising lessons have you learned along the way?
To piggy off the last question, I have learned that when you are in a state of continuous learning, and you have committed your life to that, the only thing left is to be grateful for where you are. To understand where you are going, yes, but to genuinely appreciate where you are in this moment. This moment is all we’ll ever have.
What are you focusing your time on now?
Right now I’m focusing on musical development. (Audio engineering, writing, singing, production, etc.)
What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?
Legacy is an elusive concept for me because it implies ego: Lawrence Oliver III. My mission is for my music to bring those who listen into the NOW. The Presence behind the NOW is what works through me, and that’s what I want to be remembered.
Hulda Hicks was born in Brooklyn, NY in the late ’70s, at the time when Hip-Hop music was just emerging as an art form. Her entire life was influenced by the culture, having grown up in the epicenter of the creative movement.
As a trained musician and vocalist, Hulda got exposed to the industry in her twenties and has worked on projects with iconic figures such as the Chiffons, the Last Poets, and Montell Jordan, to name a few. Her passion for music extended past the stage on to the page when she began to write ad copy and articles as a freelancer for several underground publications.
A written review from “Jubilee Huldafire” is as authentic as it gets, hailing from one creative mind that has a unique voice, on paper and in person.
