DC rapper Fat Trel shares video for pensive street anthem ‘Niggaz Dying’

The rising DC star takes a surprising turn on his latest track.

Fat Trel‘s ‘Niggaz Dying’ finds the rapper leaning on AutoTune to deliver a sorrowful song about ghetto realities. For a guy who made his bones with antagonistic trap music like the Lex Luger-produced ‘Respect Wit The Tech’ and ‘Russian Roulette’, this turn towards introspective, sensitive thug (a la Kevin Gates et al) is a welcome one.

“Another body drop / another homicide,” Trel intones through the ubiquitous vocal filter, “Bitches snitching / niggas dying.” He even finds time to shout out (and borrow lyrics from) Chicago rapper Lil Durk: “free Lil Durk / dis ain’t what you want“. On a dime, he opts for a rapid-fire flow and delivers equally devastating lyrics (“dreams and drugs / which is you selling?”) over J Gramm’s sweeping beat.

‘Niggaz Dying’ is set to appear on Trel’s long-awaited Sex Drugz Muney & Gunz mixtape, due out on August 19. Watch the video (directed by BRONXDEADEYEZ) — heavy with yellow tape and white sheets, graveyards and DC B-roll —below.