Ten years ago today, on October 28, 2016, Jeezy released Trap or Die 3, his ninth studio album, through his YJ Music imprint and Def Jam. A decade later, it still stands as proof that the Snowman could run it back at a time when the trap sound he helped build had taken over the whole genre.
What It Was
Trap or Die 3 is the third chapter in Jeezy’s Trap or Die series: 16 tracks, just under an hour long, made with a deep bench of producers that included Mike Will Made It, Shawty Redd and D. Rich, who handled the most beats on the project. The guest list read like a Southern street-rap all-star game: Yo Gotti, Lil Wayne, Plies, French Montana, Chris Brown and the late Bankroll Fresh.
The rollout started with “Let Em Know” in September 2016. Then came “All There” featuring Bankroll Fresh on October 6. That record, produced by D. Rich, reached No. 50 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 8 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.
The Numbers
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 89,000 album-equivalent units, including 73,000 in pure album sales. That made it Jeezy’s third No. 1 album. It also topped Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was later certified Gold by the RIAA, per Wikipedia’s album page.
Moving 73,000 pure copies in 2016, deep into the streaming era, says a lot about how loyal Jeezy’s core audience was. Those weren’t casual playlist streams. Those were fans buying the album.
How It Landed
Critics mostly liked it. The album scored a 70 on Metacritic. AllMusic’s Andy Kellman praised its “intense focus and ferocity,” even if he felt Jeezy wasn’t saying much that was new. HipHopDX called “Pretty Diamonds” the standout. XXL gave it 4 out of 5.
It was also a loaded release day. Meek Mill’s DC4 hit stores the same Friday, according to Wikipedia’s 2016 in hip hop release list, and Jeezy still came out on top of the chart.
The IAHHM Take
Trap or Die 3 wasn’t trying to reinvent Jeezy. It was a reminder. In 2016, the kids he influenced were running the charts, and he came back with a focused, no-skips-for-the-day-ones album that beat them to No. 1. Ten years later, “All There” also stands as a tribute to Bankroll Fresh, an Atlanta voice who should have had a much longer run.
Where does TOD3 rank in Jeezy’s catalog for you? Top three, or does nothing touch the early run?
More from The Archive: On This Day in 1993: Shaq Dropped ‘Shaq Diesel’ and Went Platinum.
Sources: Wikipedia: Trap or Die 3 | Wikipedia: All There | Wikipedia: 2016 in hip hop
