To many in the business, Pittsburgh is the birthplace of modern Hip-Hop, and ID Labs is becoming its nursery. That’s the commercial recording studio where Wiz Khalifa made his first recordings at the age of 15, and where Mac Miller was discovered at the age of 18, and it’s even served hip-hop legends like Snoop Dogg. A new up-and-comer has recently crossed the Rubicon of ID Labs. Trucci’s early mix tape is gaining steam, and his new single, “HAHA!” features Mink Sinatra.
Best known by his stage name Trucci, Cameron Contrucci is a home-grown Pittsburgh artist. He started writing songs when he was 16, inspired by the young success of local icons. “Being from right outside Pittsburgh, PA, you can already guess MacMiller and Wiz Khalifa were major inspirations growing up and getting into music,” Trucci says, “I had started writing music a little bit, then Mac blew up majorly.” Seeing how successful Mac Miller was at such a young age gave Trucci a new energy. If a Pittsburgh kid like Mac could do it, then so could Trucci.
Trucci’s brand of music is all about authenticity. He follows his feelings and his inspirations, and great music comes from that. “I’m trying to express my emotions in hopes that it will connect me to other people around the world,” Trucci says. It was just that kind of energy that brought him his first big break.
The first studio he ever recorded at was the legendary ID Labs, just like Wiz Khalifa before him. Whatever creative energy was at work in that studio, Trucci was able to use it. “My homie was actually the one there to record,” Trucci tells the story, “So I let him do his thing and the engineer sent me some beats and I went off and wrote one of my favorite songs I’ve written to date.” Impassioned, encouraged, and free to create, Trucci channeled hip-hop magic during that session.
“To say that my first time in a studio was in the same building where Mac and Wiz, two of Pittsburgh’s best, did the same thing I did that night, will always be one of my favorite stories to tell.”
Trucci’s first mix-tape, “Got it?” features, Explain it,” “Get Dumb,” and “Gucci Trucci,” and he’s also got a single out, “Keep The Vibe.” But it’s his newest song, “HAHA!” that’s gaining attention now. Featuring Mink Sinatra, “HAHA!” is a work of energetic confidence, a great beat, and fun lyrics. The video, which you can find on YouTube, captures Trucci’s journey as a playful, mischievous artist enjoying his music and his life as a rapper. That’s who Trucci is: an authentic artist who loves his music, has fun making it, and wants to use it to connect with as many as he can.
“How you live will dictate how your life goes,” says Trucci, who takes pride in doing shows and with fellow hip-hop artists. When thinking about his future, Trucci is excited to work with more names on bigger shows in more cities, looking forward to larger stages and more connections. With the success of tracks like, “HAHA!” Trucci has a lot to look forward to.
