Trae Tha Truth Calls Out Officers For Harassing And Profiling Him At Airport

Trae Tha Truth is renowned for his hard-hitting lyrics that express street life's harsh realities. A founding member of Assholes by Nature, Trae is an experienced street orator.

Trae isn't busy recording new songs; he's leading the Relief Gang - an ever-expanding team of volunteer helpers that come together to alleviate hardships caused by Hurricane Harvey. They've provided assistance to countless Texans since then, such as children who needed school uniforms and an elderly woman in need of shelter.

The Video

Days ago, Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth posted a video to Instagram depicting two officers harassing and profiling him at the airport. They inquired if he had been around people who smoke marijuana, then claimed their drug-sniffing dog had detected marijuana in his bag.

On Monday (March 6), Trae the XXL Humanitarian of the Year was in town to perform at Rolling Loud Los Angeles when an incident occurred. After posting video evidence online, Trae called on fans to help him track down police and ask why they had harassed him.

Following their encounter, Trae was led away from the airport by Houston Police Chief Rod Acevedo and other officials. Additionally, Trae called Acevedo to report racist social media posts made by a former Houston police officer.

Trae has been a tireless champion for Houston's poor and disenfranchised, serving as one of the founding members of Assholes By Nature crew. His music often highlights the harsh realities of urban street life with poignancy.

He's an optimist when it comes to helping others, which he does by leading the Relief Gang - a volunteer group that offers aid to anyone in need. From providing beds at shelters for ninety-year-old women to pulling people out of flood waters, the Relief Gang is always there for those in need.

Once winter arrived in February, some of Relief Gang's core members began driving into the city to distribute food and water. On Friday and Saturday after the freeze, James Harden joined them in providing meals along with Beyonce Knowles-Carter's organization Beygood.

On the following morning, Trae and Rogers spent the morning delivering barbecue to Cleme Manor apartments in Fifth Ward. By late afternoon, residents had formed a line and eagerly awaited their delivery; although it was just them and Trae, they got to work quickly.

By midday, their trucks were packed with over 1,000 meals - each delivered to a different residence with some leftover for themselves. They'd visited multiple locations as well and still had an endless list of requests waiting in their inboxes.

The Situation

Trae Tha Truth is a Houston rapper who disdains the glossy aesthetic of some other rappers and instead highlights the gritty realities of urban street life. As an inspiring orator who empowers those disenfranchised, Trae Tha Truth has earned widespread respect locally and even national acclaim.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Trae was met by racist police officers at the airport. He posted video of the encounter on his Instagram account which quickly gained widespread attention and criticism.

The rapper claims he was stopped on the bridge between airport gates and its jet bridge by two alleged drug enforcement officers and interrogated. They claimed a drug-sniffing dog had detected marijuana inside his suitcase; therefore, he agreed to allow them to search it.

In the video, an officer asked Trae if he was around people who smoke marijuana; Trae replied no. After this clarification, the officer went up to his bag to sniff for drugs; however, Trae's dog ran off before they could make out anything inside.

Trae's life took an unexpected turn when he lost his older brother Charles "Dinky" Hughes to capital murder at the age of twelve. This experience left Trae in shock, as he recounted in an interview in 2019.

He told me about growing up in a difficult neighborhood with few resources and few opportunities, where he often felt outcast and the target of bullying and violence. Growing up, it was evident to him that these conditions did not improve for him as an individual.

Trae eventually began to make amends and become an active participant in his community. Within a short time, Trae had made friends and built a reputation for himself; eventually making it out of jail, becoming a musician, and becoming a leader on the streets.

Trae's story is no different from other Houstonians who have suffered due to a corrupt system. And like so many Black Texans before him, Trae too has had to fight for his rights.

He is now the cofounder and captain of the Relief Gang, a volunteer crew that he started in 2017. They dedicate themselves to aiding Houstonians who are in need, such as providing new school uniforms to kids in Port Arthur ISD or organizing an evacuation at Woodridge Forest Middle School after floods. By working together, they ensure everyone gets the help they need.

Trae’s Response

Trae Tha Truth, a Houston-based rapper, took to social media on Monday (March 6) to condemn an airport officer for harassing and profiling him upon his return home after performing at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles. In a video posted to Instagram shortly after, two armed officers stopped him and claimed that a drug-sniffing dog detected marijuana inside his suitcase.

Trae's act of kindness was all the more remarkable since he had just won XXL's Humanitarian of the Year award. Earlier in the month, Trae took it upon himself to help an elderly woman who owed money on her garbage bill; treating her to shopping while asking fans for donations that would cover things like central heating and air conditioning repairs.

On a more serious note, Trae has had his share of troubles in recent years. In August he was charged with assault for punching rapper Z-Ro in the head while other men threw him to the ground and stole his jewelry. This incident, which is being investigated by police, has made headlines across social media pages and even made it into a book called "Actionable Musings: The Top 10 Most Intriguing Stories You Have to See To Believe." If you want to learn more about what transpired that day, watch the video below.

Conclusions

On Monday (March 6), Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth shared a video on Instagram of two men stopping him outside an airport and asking if they could search his luggage. He allowed them to search his bag, but then the two men started making racist remarks and telling him there was marijuana in it.

Trae was taken aback when this happened, having recently performed at the Rolling Loud: Los Angeles Festival in California. Upon his return to Houston after performing, Trae hoped to book shows or sign with a label.

He wants to see changes made in how police departments handle Black people. He's particularly grieved over the death of his friend Big Floyd, who was shot and killed by a police officer last May.

His activism was further fuelled by Hurricane Harvey, leading him to found the Relief Gang with DJ Mr. Rogers in 2017. Initially created during Hurricane Harvey's aftermath, they have since expanded their scope beyond that to encompass various disasters and have provided assistance to hundreds of thousands of Houstonians over time.

The Relief Gang has earned itself a place of honor among many in the city, but they also take responsibility seriously. That's why Trae and Rogers are quick to point out that their work doesn't just provide assistance; they give life. They help rebuild communities and rewrite old scripts--the ones which say you have nothing and must face your struggles alone.