Obie Trice

Obie Trice III was born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Michigan by his mother, along with three brothers. He is of African-American and distant European descent. Trice was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over instrumentals from artists such as N.W.A. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle gatherings around Detroit, including the Hip Hop Shop, where he and his friends would go on Saturday afternoons. 

The battles were hosted by Proof, from D12. Positive response from watchers encouraged Trice to get into rap music seriously.” Trice was calling himself Obie 1 at that time, but before Proof introduced him at the Hip Hop Shop, he asked him his real name and introduced him as Obie Trice, which remains his rap name. 

Trice was introduced to Eminem through D12 member Bizarre. Later, Trice’s manager arranged for him to have dinner and go to a Kid Rock party with Eminem. Trice signed to Shady Records in 2000. He created a freestyle skit on the D12 album Devil’s Night, following up with the line “Obie Trice: real name, no gimmicks”, from Eminem’s The Eminem Show lead single, “Without Me”, as well as the song “Drips”. Later in 2002, Trice rapped on songs for the 8 Mile soundtrack, and also had a cameo appearance in the film as a rapper in a parking lot.