MC Tree G

Tremaine Johnson is a rapper and producer who is better known by his stage name MC Tree G. Tree grew up in the Cabrini-Green projects in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Tree is responsible for cultivating his own unique sound called “Soul Trap”. Soul trap is the fusion of the soul music of the past with present day rap.^[1]

Early career

Tree's music echoes his upbringing in the Cabrini-Green project, the second largest housing project in Chicago, Illinois.^[2] Tree would go to Chicago Salem Church with his Grandmother which is where he first developed an interest in music and started singing.^[3] Tree was later forced to move to a different end of the Cabrini- Green projects after his parents separated.^[3] Tree worked many odd jobs through the years such as at Shedd Aquarium, shining shoes, the Rock 'n' Roll McDonalds and lastly in 2001 for a printing company, Forslund Grabowski.^[3] Tree's time at Forslund Grabowski is when he started to rap, produce and record.^[3] Tree than started recording under the nickname his family had for him, Tree, short for Tremaine.^[3] He worked for 9 years in the Women's shoe department at Nordstrom before leaving to officially pursue his music career.^[4] Tree got his support from the producers of Project Mayhem and started writing music in the 1990s but didn't release any music until 2010.^[4] Tree didn't officially release an album until he was 27 years old.^[4] Tree has released three albums since 2012, Sunday School, Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out and The @MCTREEG EP. Since then Tree have been recognized by publications such as MTV, Spin, Fader, Complex and many more.^[4] Tree has collaborated with long-time friends, Project Mayhem as well as rapper Danny Brown.^[5]

MC Tree G

Early career

References