Troy Ave
| Troy Ave | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Roland Collins |
| Born | November 23, 1985 |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | BSB Records |
| Website | www.troyave.com |
Roland Collins (born November 23, 1985), better known by the stage name Troy Ave, is an American rapper from the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. His moniker derives from Troy Avenue, a street near his boyhood home. In November 2013, his first studio album, New York City: The Album, was released. It debuted at number 47 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He was named in XXL magazine's 2014 Freshmen Class.
Collins began his rap career in 2009.
On May 26, 2016, Collins was arrested for attempted murder and illegal weapon possession for shooting at a T.I. concert. During the event at Irving Plaza, where T.I. and others were scheduled to perform, four people were shot, one fatally, by a shooter from the VIP section of the event. The man who died, Ronald McPhatter, 33, was said to be a friend of Collins, who was first taken to NYU Langone Medical Center and then transferred to nearby NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where he was arrested as a primary suspect in the shooting. While at the hospital, it was alleged that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Collins pleaded not guilty, saying he was using self-defense and that he and McPhatter were shot by an unnamed assailant. He was remanded without bail. His lawyer then put out a request for the public to help with any information that witnesses can provide.
Collins dropped a single called "Chuck Norris (Hoes & Gangstas)" and a mixtape called Free Troy Ave, in reference to his current condition of being charged with shootings. It was released on June 6, 2016. On July 11, 2016, he made the final bail and was temporarily released.
Tensions between Troy Ave and fellow Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$ began brewing in June 2015, when the latter declared himself the "#1 independent hip hop artist/brand in the world" in a series of tweets, to which the former responded in another tweet by pointing out that he is signed to Cinematic Music Group, whose music is distributed by RED Distribution, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Joey Bada$$ later refuted reports of a feud between him and Troy Ave in another tweet.
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