51Views
Who is TLE Cinco? The Alabama rapper putting out truckloads of hits
Alabama’s very own, TLE Cinco has been calling the shots for a while now in the trap-rap sphere, (in case you didn’t get the message).
He’s a young artist on the rise that started with nothing. Now, nothing is stopping him from pushing out bangers. TLE Cinco is locked in “#4L,” as he would put it.
Since 2018, the TRUCKLOAD Empire C.E.O. has been ascending on the charts. First, TLE Cinco released a debut single titled “All The Money” two summers ago, which garnered 1.5 million-plus streams on WorldStarHipHop.
Then, he followed up with “Check Dis (5M),” ” Freestyle (1.5M),” and “Pop Shit (2.9M).” Eventually, TLE Cinco landed a record deal with 300 Entertainment, home to rappers like Young Thug, Lil Keed, Gunna, and Shy Glizzy.
Shortly after, he released his first 13-track project, 20Cinco, which features Tee Grizzley on a remix of “All The Money.”
In the span of his career, TLE Cinco has also collaborated with NLE Choppa, Stunna 4 Vegas, O.M.B. Peezy, Clever, Rylo Rodriguez, and many other rappers.
His moniker, TLE Cinco, stands for Truckload Empire, a label he founded. ‘Cinco’ stems from a time when he played sports. His jersey’s number was always five, so it stuck.
Sonically, TLE Cinco keeps up the momentum. Likewise, he delivers clever rhymes and playful but very combative punchlines.
“I say a punchline in every song that you have to take a moment to think about,” he said.
View this post on Instagram
“VIXEN” (Official video) OUT RIGHT NOW🚚🖤🔥🎥 LINK IN BIO! #LESSGOOO🖕🏾#4L🚛 RUN IT UP
His soundscape, on the other hand, uses a cymbal that clashes at the beginning of some songs, live instrumentations, and speaker-knocking baselines.
Themes consist of paper-chasing, swooning the baddies, making it out of the mud, and living in the moment with friends. To describe his sound, TLE Cinco uses the words original and different.
“It’s the type of music that gets you going and puts you in a good mood. It turns you up.”
Ultimately, TLE Cinco was inspired by Meek Mill. Cinco has looked up to the Philly rapper since the sixth grade. Music, overall, lets him express how he feels, even on things he doesn’t talk about with anyone else.
TLE Cinco’s latest 15-track effort Self Conscious transcends realness through three different vibes. Leaning in, you’ll hear three flows that mesh well with his original sound. Between the lines, Self Conscious explores the life of TLE Cinco.
He speaks on personal experiences, fun antics, the daily grind, keeping a close-knit circle of friends around, surviving the trenches, staying ten toes down, and more.
Last month, his project reached No. 14 on Spotify, falling after Mick Jenkin’s The Circus.
“When making Self Conscious I wasn’t trying hard, but I knew what I wanted to do.” Cinco added, “It all came together.” Standout tracks include: “Pop Shit,” “Vixen,” “Fix The Mic,” and “Check Dis” featuring NLE Choppa.
After the “aye” lets out, “Pop Shit” begins with an accordion progression and booming 808’s. TLE Cinco is really just bouncing off the soundscape’s energy.
“Pop Shit” sees TLE Cinco boasting about his longevity of commas, women performing fellatio, intimidating the opps, and blowing a bag on luxury goods (or in one case: $15K on a shoe bag).
But these top-shelf items must be more of a need than a want. After all, TLE Cinco raps in one verse, “Gotta be worth it, I’m spending my cash on it.”
Aside from this, the rapper explains that his fortune derives from taking care of business. Given that he’s on the rise, TLE Cinco has sold-out shows, adding some bankroll to his pockets.
Two notable punchlines are “Pockets like a phonebook, got pages.” and “No Jimmy Neutron, ima blast on it.”
To date, the visual for TLE Cinco’s “Vixen” has 1.5 million streams on YouTube. Produced by Barnotez, “Vixen” goes in-depth with punchlines about his drip, narcotics, and pulling up with a stick, if needed.
For a brief moment, TLE Cinco also acknowledges his love’s beauty, comparing it to a vixen’s. As the track progresses, TLE Cinco even partially reflects on the moves he made to get to where he is today.
“In five months, finessed the whole campus (On God)/Then I dropped out, and I got on the mic and I ranned it.”
The soundscape makes use of an incredible, dark piano number, electro-synths, a violin progression, and sporadic hi-hats.
Next, “Fix The Mic” clashes in with cymbals, an upping baseline, and hi-hats. But after the 40-second mark, a repetitive, blaring alarm intervenes at random moments.
From a lyrical standpoint, TLE Cinco speaks about his stashes of money, being zooted, bling-bling, drip, and wannabes who try to steal his recipe like Plankton. This song, in particular, comes with its witty bars and sharp punchlines.
Lyrical Lemonade even calls “Fix The Mic” a maniacal and stripped-back track. Notable lyrics include:
“Run up, step back and shoot like I’m Harden/I’m havin’ lettuce like gardens (On God)/These ni–as really not biting they really just barkin’/Wish a nigga will like I’m Carlton (Let’s go)/I am high as fuck outta here, outta space like a martian/Lay a ni–a down like a carpet.”
Last but not least, “Check Dis (featuring NLE Choppa)“ gets listeners hyped at the start of the beat’s break. Following after is an eerie organ progression and booming baseline.
But things really get hectic once TLE Cinco and NLE Choppa splurge out an array of combative rhymes. On “Check Dis,” TLE Cinco unveils that shooters gon’ shoot with a purpose, and if someone comes sideways, he’ll take action.
Aside from this, he speaks on his wealth and having relations with women. NLE Choppa delivers his rhymes with his signature flow.
Ultimately, he gets the bones jumping out of the opps and a hater’s skin by endorsing all the smoke in merciless punchline form. A standout verse that hits:
“I spin the block just like a ceiling fan (Spin it, spin it)/We step like marching bands (Yeah, yeah)/You want some smoke? This shit gets critical, critical, critical condition (Bitch)/.223’s and AR-15’s when I shoot, I don’t do missin’ (Brrt)”
If you haven’t already, check out TLE Cinco’s latest tape Self Conscious.