Ryan Trey has a smooth sing-rap sound reminiscent of Bryson Tiller, who’s cosigned the rising R&B sensation. • Trey grew up in St. Louis—where he drew influene from Nelly—and Washington, D.C., where he was inspired by Wale. He also counts Drake and J. Cole as influences. • He started posting music on SoundCloud in 2016 and quickly amassed a fanbase. • In 2017, he released his debut mixtape, EIGHT24, while still a senior in high school. • Trey intended his 2018 debut EP, August, to be a “fresh introduction” following everything he’d been through in the previous two years. • He teamed up with Bryson Tiller—a major influence who’d previously given him props—on the 2019 track “Nowhere to Run.”