Trick Daddy Bio
Maurice Samuel Young (born September 27, 1974), known professionally as Trick Daddy, is an American rapper from Miami, Florida. Emerging in the late 1990s after signing with Slip-n-Slide Records, he released his debut album Based on a True Story (1997) and became the label’s flagship artist. He later signed a joint venture with Atlantic Records and released multiple studio albums, including Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets (2004), whose single “Let’s Go” (2004) peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. Also known as Trick Daddy Dollars, he is recognized for his Southern hip-hop style, frequent collaborations with Miami artists, and a recording career that has stretched from 1996 to the present.
Early Life and Background
Maurice Samuel Young was born on September 27, 1974, at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. His mother, Pearl Brockington of South Carolina, raised him and his ten brothers and sisters in the Liberty Square apartment complex in the Liberty City neighborhood, after the family relocated from Goulds. The building where he grew up was colloquially known as “Pork-N-Beans” in reference to the color of the apartment doors.
His father, Charles, was a local pimp. When Maurice was a teenager, Charles took him and his brother Derek “Hollywood” Harris to live with him, and during that period, the two young men began to deal crack cocaine on the streets of Miami. At fifteen years old, Young was arrested for drug and firearm possession. The day after his release, he was arrested on an attempted-murder charge for shooting a man during a street fight, was convicted, and was sent to prison at twenty years old. His brother was murdered the same year. After his release from prison, Slip-n-Slide Records founder Ted Lucas urged Young to focus on a rap career and stay off the streets.
Path to Rap
Trick Daddy first appeared on the track “Scarred” by former 2 Live Crew member Luther “Luke” Campbell, from Luke’s 1996 album Uncle Luke. The song became a regional hit and drew the attention of fans and record executives. Ted Lucas, a former concert promoter and then-CEO of Slip-n-Slide Records, signed the rapper to the newly formed label, where he adopted the stage name Trick Daddy Dollars.
Slip-n-Slide released his debut album Based on a True Story in 1997, and the record became popular across the Miami area. In 1998, when his follow-up album www.thug.com arrived, he dropped the “Dollars” from his stage name and continued building his reputation as one of the South’s most distinctive new voices.
Trick Daddy Career
Early Career (1996-1999)
Trick Daddy’s debut album Based on a True Story (1997) introduced his street-oriented style to a Southern audience and made him a recognizable figure in the Miami hip-hop scene. Its sequel, www.thug.com (1998), produced the club-oriented single “Nann Nigga,” featuring Trina, which became a national hit and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
During this period, Trick Daddy also secured a deal with Atlantic Records in 1998 and released Book of Thugs: Chapter AK Verse 47. The lead single “Shut Up” gained radio play, while the follow-up “America,” featuring Society, was a political track that drew comparisons to other sociological songs in his catalog.
Breakthrough (2000-2006)
Thugs Are Us, released in 2001, contained the hit single “I’m a Thug,” which reached number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100. His fifth studio album Thug Holiday followed and included the singles “In da Wind” and the title track. In 2004, Trick Daddy released Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and featured the smash single “Let’s Go,” produced by Lil Jon and featuring Twista, which sampled the guitar riffs from the Ozzy Osbourne hit “Crazy Train.”
That same year, he guest-performed on the Ying Yang Twins’ “What’s Happnin!,” which reached number thirty on the Hot 100, number seven on the Rhythmic Top 40, and number nine on the Hot Rap Singles. “Let’s Go” peaked at number seven on the Hot 100, number four on the Rhythmic Top 40, and number four on Hot Rap Tracks. Back by Thug Demand followed in 2006, producing the charting singles “Bet That” and “Tuck Ya Ice,” and launched the career of his group Dunk Ryders with their track “Damn Right,” featuring Dray Skky.
Later Career and Collaborations (2006-Present)
Following Back by Thug Demand, Trick Daddy appeared on several DJ Khaled singles, including “Born-N-Raised” in 2006, “I’m So Hood” in 2007, and “Out Here Grindin’” in 2008. “I’m So Hood” peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100 and number five on the Hot Rap Tracks. He also appeared on Pitbull’s 2007 album The Boatlift. Trick Daddy left Slip-n-Slide in 2008 and released his eighth studio album Finally Famous: Born a Thug Still a Thug on September 25, 2009, on his own Dunk Ryder Records label.
In 2010, he appeared in the film Just Another Day, playing Roman, a drug dealer, in a story about the intersecting lives of an aspiring rapper and an established rapper over the course of a single day. In 2017, Trick Daddy started his podcast co-hosted by Supa Cindy, and in 2018, he began appearing on the VH1 reality series Love & Hip Hop: Miami. He has continued to tour the United States, performing a mix of his classic hits and newer material.
Notable Works and Milestones
Trick Daddy’s signature work remains the 2004 single “Let’s Go,” which stands as his highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 entry and helped push Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets to a number-two peak on the Billboard 200. He is widely regarded as one of the defining voices of Southern hip-hop and as the artist who carried Slip-n-Slide Records into the national spotlight during the late 1990s and 2000s.
Trick Daddy Family
Trick Daddy was raised by his mother, Pearl Brockington, alongside his ten brothers and sisters, including his brother Derek “Hollywood” Harris, in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. His father, Charles, briefly took Maurice and Derek to live with him during the rapper’s teenage years.
Personal Life
Trick Daddy’s ex-wife, Joy, filed for divorce from him, a development she discussed during part two of the Love & Hip Hop: Miami Season 2 reunion. The rapper has publicly shared that he has been diagnosed with lupus, which has affected his skin, and he has stated that he stopped taking medication for the disease. He has also faced financial difficulties, having declared bankruptcy three times, the latest filing arriving on the day his home was scheduled for foreclosure and auction. Trick Daddy resides in Miramar, Florida.