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‘This is one of my biggest mixtapes that I dropped in a long time,’ host DJ Bigga Rankin tells Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman, with reporting by FLX Trouble Photo: MTV News Mixtape Daily Main Pick Headliners : Trouble, DJ Bigga Rankin, DJ Teknikz and DJ Frank White Representing : Atlanta Mixtape : 431 Days Real Spit : Time waits for no man. It’s an age-old adage that Atlanta rapper Trouble is fully aware of. On December 17, 2008, the Duct Tape Entertainment MC was jailed on aggravated assault, and exactly two years later, in 2010, he was released. The date holds so much significance for Trouble that he went on to name his debut mixtape December 17th and then his latest tape 431 Days, signifying the amount of time between his release from jail and the tape’s March 27 release. “This is one of my biggest mixtapes that I dropped in a long time,” DJ Bigga Rankin, one of 431 Days ‘ three hosts, told Mixtape Daily. “When he speaks, he speaks the truth.” While some rappers choose to focus their attention on the club or big radio hits, Trouble specializes in emotive street material. It isn’t that he simply raps about his experience in the trap; the Zone 6 spitter takes things a step further and explores the feelings that surround his harsh realities. On “Never Understand,” Trouble teams with Bun B to explain what makes him different from his rap contemporaries. “Confused ass, little bustas bussin’, all over nothin’/ Catch a case and then turn state, who can you trust in,” Trouble raps about so-called hustlers who are ill-prepared for the drug game’s consequences. The entire 431 Days tape is peppered with this type of analysis. “All I’m Worried About” is a dedication to the rapper’s family and closest friends. With his very first line, Trouble makes it clear where his allegiances lie: “Every plate I get with food on it, I take it to my moms/ Not just crumbs, you n—as really bums.” Gucci Mane also shows up for “Hustle Ambition,” Verse Simmonds on the female-friendly “Would You” and, of course, Alley Boy and Big Bank Black from Duct Tape contribute as well. Throughout the 17-track mixtape, Trouble displays an overwhelming sense of urgency. There isn’t a wasted song, as the MC paints a focused picture with each track. Here’s to his next 431 days! Joints to Check For