{{Short description|American rapper from Texas}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Lil' Troy | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Troy Lane Birklett | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|2|24}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | genre = Hip Hop | occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter|truck driver}} | years_active = 1986–present | label = {{hlist|Short Stop|E1|Universal Republic}} }}

'''Troy Lane Birklett''' (born February 24, 1966),<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p296587/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Lil' Troy > Biography|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|year=2008|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=January 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myheritage.com/|title=Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing|website=Myheritage.com|accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref> known professionally as '''Lil' Troy''', is an American rapper and songwriter.

==Early life== Birklett was born in Houston and grew up there.

==Career== ===Early career=== In 1987, Troy Birklett founded Short Stop and joined the group Mass 187 in 1987. Mass 187's song "Gangsta Strut" was featured on local radio.<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Christopher|title=Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/519361/19991027/index.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906080741/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/519361/19991027/index.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 6, 2012|publisher=MTV News|accessdate=January 21, 2012|date=October 27, 1999}}</ref> He was arrested in November 1999 and sent to a federal detention center in Beaumont, Texas west of Orange. He was there nine months.<ref name="MTV">{{cite web |first=Soren |last=Baker |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449704/20011008/lil_troy.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011114104336/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449704/20011008/lil_troy.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2001 |title=Lil' Troy, Free From Prison, Is Back To Ballin' |publisher=MTV News |date=October 8, 2001 |accessdate=January 17, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="villagevoice">{{cite news|first=Anthony|last=Mariani|url=http://villagevoice.com/2001-10-16/music/never-surrender|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709135008/http://www.villagevoice.com/music/never-surrender-6396676|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2015|title=Never Surrender|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=October 16, 2001|access-date=January 17, 2010 }}</ref>

===''Wanna Be a Baller'' and later career=== In the late 1990s, Lil' Troy featured many of Houston's rappers in his songs. He reached national audiences with his single "Wanna Be a Baller".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/519361/label-head-lil-troy-turns-rapper/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328002530/http://www.mtv.com/news/519361/label-head-lil-troy-turns-rapper/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2015|title=Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper|publisher=MTV News|accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref> The song reached No. 70<ref name="allmusic"/> on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and propelled ''Sittin' Fat Down South'', his debut album on his Shortstop/Me & Mine Entertainment label, to the Top 25 albums on the ''Billboard'' 200. After the success of the lead single, Lil' Troy was picked up by Universal Music Group, which re-released his debut album in 1999 with national distribution. The debut album was a success; it was certified Platinum by the RIAA selling 1.9&nbsp;million copies in the US.<ref name="MTV"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |title=Recording Industry Association of America |publisher=RIAA |accessdate=March 27, 2012}}</ref> Lil' Troy released a follow up in 2001, titled ''Back to Ballin''. The album did not have a charting single and did not fare nearly as well as his debut. He released his third album, ''Paperwork'', in 2006.

Lil' Troy later became a truck driver, forming Birklett Trucking Company in Missouri City, Texas west of Pearland.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abc13.com/lil-troy-houston-rapper-big-rig-fire-18-wheeler-i-10/11310056/|title=Houston rapper Lil' Troy survives 18-wheeler fire on I-10: 'I thank God'|agency=ABC13 News|date=8 December 2021|accessdate=20 August 2023|first1=Briana|last1=Conner}}</ref>

==Discography== === Albums === {|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="3"| Chart positions<ref name="billboard albums">{{cite web|title=Lil Troy Billboard albums|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lil-troy-p296587/charts-awards|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=January 22, 2012}}</ref> ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Certifications |- !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US R&B !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US Ind |- |1998

|''Sittin' Fat Down South'' *Released: June 23, 1998 *Labels: Republic/Universal/Short Stop |align=center|20 |align=center|6 |align=center|– | * US: Platinum<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|title=Gold & Platinum|website=Riaa.com|accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref> |- |2001 |''Back to Ballin'' *Released: September 11, 2001 *Label: Koch/Short Stop/Me & Mine Entertainment |align=center|95 |align=center|24 |align=center|4 | |- | 2006 |''Paperwork'' *Released: February 14, 2006 *Label: Short Stop/101 |align=center|– |align=center|– |align=center|– | |}

=== Singles === {|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="3"| Chart positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US R&B !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"| US Rap |- | 1998 |"Small Time" |align=center|– |align=center|– |align=center|– |rowspan="3"| ''Sittin' Fat Down South'' |- |rowspan="2"| 1999 |"Wanna Be a Baller" <small>(featuring Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil' Will, and H.A.W.K.)</small> |align=center|70 |align=center|40 |align=center|31 |- |"Where's the Love" (feat. Willie D & Ardis) |align=center|– |align=center|– |align=center|– |- |rowspan="2"| 2001 |"We Gon' Lean" |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |rowspan="2"| ''Back to Ballin'' |- |"Back to Ballin" |align=center|– |align=center|– |align=center|– |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/liltroyVEVO Lil' Troy] on YouTube *{{IMDb name |id=1860230 |name=Lil' Troy}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lil Troy}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American male rappers Category:American drug traffickers Category:Rappers from Houston Category:Underground rappers Category:Businesspeople from Texas Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Universal Records artists Category:Gangsta rappers Category:21st-century American rappers Category:21st-century African-American rappers Category:20th-century African-American musicians Category:21st-century African-American male rappers

{{US-hiphop-bio-stub}}