# Trouble (rapper)
**Trouble** was the stage name of Mariel Semonte Orr (1987 – June 5, 2022), an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, known for trap and hardcore Southern rap that combined street aggression with introspection. He broke out with the 2011 mixtape *December 17th*, released a string of mixtapes through the 2010s, and reached a wider audience with his 2018 studio debut *Edgewood*, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It and featuring Drake, the Weeknd, Quavo, Fetty Wap, and [Boosie Badazz](https://www.edgepedia.org/boosie-badazz). He was shot and killed in [Conyers, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/conyers-georgia), at the age of 34.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [2](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-atlanta-rappers-2022-death/53GV2YQEZFHTHOF7XMKH2ALF4Q/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Mariel Semonte Orr; also known as Skoob and Trouble DTE[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [3](https://www.nme.com/news/music/atlanta-rapper-trouble-has-died-aged-34-3240067) |
| Born / died | Born 1987 in Atlanta, Georgia; died June 5, 2022, in Rockdale County (Conyers), Georgia, at age 34[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) |
| Debut mixtape | *December 17th* (2011), titled for his December 17, 2010 release from jail; featured Waka Flocka Flame and Future[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) |
| Studio debut | *Edgewood* (2018), produced entirely by Mike WiLL Made-It on Ear Drummer/Interscope; his first appearance on the Billboard 200[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/) |
| Biggest single | "Key to the Streets" with YFN Lucci (2016), number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 and certified Platinum[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/) |
| Final album | *Thug Luv* (2020), the last album released in his lifetime[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-atlanta-rapper-trouble-with-5-essential-tracks/) |
| Death case | Jamichael Jones pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in March 2025 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison[2](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-atlanta-rappers-2022-death/53GV2YQEZFHTHOF7XMKH2ALF4Q/) |
## Early life and start in rap
Trouble grew up in Zone 6, on the Eastside of Atlanta, and took his nickname from a hard-living lifestyle.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [6](https://www.nts.live/artists/52290-trouble) In 2008, just after signing a recording contract with Duct Tape Entertainment, a label founded by rappers from the Edgewood Court section of East Atlanta, he was caught in a home invasion that ended in kidnapping and armed robbery charges. He served his sentence and was released on December 17, 2010, a date he used as the title of his debut mixtape, *December 17th*, released in 2011.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [7](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22813-year-in-2016/)
The mixtape featured the track "Bussin'", a gun anthem whose video, filled with weapons and stone-faced gangsters, became his calling card. Pitchfork's retrospective called it "both a perfect street rap record and the best introduction to Trouble anyone could ask for."[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-atlanta-rapper-trouble-with-5-essential-tracks/) • [8](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/trouble-edgewood/) *December 17th* was quickly followed by *Green Light*, with collaborations including Future, Yo Gotti, and [Gucci Mane](https://www.edgepedia.org/gucci-mane).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography)
## Mixtape run of the 2010s
**Prolific output.** Trouble released new material nearly every year: *431 Days* (2012), *The Return of December 17th* (2013), *All on Me* (2014), *#ZayDidIt* (2015), *Skoob Fresh* (2015), *Skoobzilla* (2016), and *Year in 2016* (2017).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) His 2016 single with fellow Atlanta rapper [YFN Lucci](https://www.edgepedia.org/yfn-lucci), "Key to the Streets," reached number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100, charted as high as number 11 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and was certified Platinum.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/)
His buzz as a street rapper grew steadily, though his career was interrupted by run-ins with the law, including a 55-day prison sentence for drug possession in 2017.[9](https://www.thefader.com/2022/06/05/atlanta-rapper-trouble-has-died) Critics noted his collaborative standing in the Atlanta scene: a Pitchfork review of *Year in 2016* described him as an "increasingly reliable Atlanta team-player" who sounded "indispensable, never like an add-on" on crowded posse cuts with Quavo, Young Thug, and Skippa Da Flippa.[7](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22813-year-in-2016/)
## Edgewood and the major-label years
In 2017 Trouble signed to producer Mike WiLL Made-It's Ear Drummer Records, under Interscope.[9](https://www.thefader.com/2022/06/05/atlanta-rapper-trouble-has-died) • [4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/) The single "Bring It Back" with Drake and Mike WiLL preceded *Edgewood*, his official studio debut, released in March 2018 and produced entirely by Mike WiLL. The 16-track album also featured the Weeknd, Quavo, Fetty Wap, and Boosie Badazz, became his first appearance on the Billboard 200, and earned critical acclaim; its lead single surpassed 40 million streams.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/) • [10](https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-05-22/76250/trouble-talks-new-thug-luv-album-his-love-for-boosie-badazz-connecting-with-jeezy-for-medusa-and-more)
Pitchfork's review described *Edgewood* as "an unsparing chronicle of Trouble's come-up" with "some of the most effective, layered production of Mike WiLL's career," named for the Atlanta projects where Trouble grew up.[8](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/trouble-edgewood/) Trouble also released a short film of the same name examining his life and influences, and in November 2018 he signed a worldwide publishing deal with Reservoir Media covering his entire catalog.[4](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/)
His follow-up, *Thug Luv* (2020), featured the Quavo collaboration "Popped" along with appearances from 2 Chainz, Boosie Badazz, and Jeezy; it was the last album released in his lifetime.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography) • [5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-atlanta-rapper-trouble-with-5-essential-tracks/)
## Death and legal outcome
On June 5, 2022, Trouble was visiting a female friend at an apartment complex in Conyers, in Rockdale County near Atlanta, when he was shot once in the chest at around 3:20 a.m. and pronounced dead on the scene. He was 34. Investigators determined that the shooter, Jamichael Jones, was involved in a domestic situation with the woman Trouble was visiting, and that Jones and Orr did not know each other; Jones's mother and a sheriff's deputy persuaded him to surrender days later.[2](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-atlanta-rappers-2022-death/53GV2YQEZFHTHOF7XMKH2ALF4Q/) • [11](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/rockdale-county/man-accused-killing-atlanta-rapper-trouble-pleads-guilty/UGTDLHW6VNGJHAJMQRAZD5AYYY/?outputType=amp)
In March 2025, on the day jury selection was to begin, Jones pleaded guilty in a Rockdale County courtroom to the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison; he had originally faced charges including malice murder (intentional killing charge, more serious than voluntary manslaughter) and felony murder.[2](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-atlanta-rappers-2022-death/53GV2YQEZFHTHOF7XMKH2ALF4Q/) • [12](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/03/21/man-charged-atlanta-rapper-troubles-murder-enters-negotiated-plea-gets-20-years/)
## Community standing and legacy
Trouble remained active in the neighborhoods that raised him. In 2019 he organized "Guns Down, Water Guns Up," an anti-gun violence event in metro Atlanta built around community water gun fights, and he continued supporting community events afterward.[13](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2022/06/05/reports-atlanta-rapper-trouble-shot-killed/) • [14](https://respect-mag.com/2019/06/trouble-threw-a-water-gun-fight-for-the-community-of-atlanta/) After his death, hundreds gathered at Coan Park in the Edgewood neighborhood on June 9, 2022, for a balloon release and block party, and friends said they would continue the events he had a hand in.[15](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/atlanta-rapper-trouble-hundreds-attend-balloon-release-block-party)
Radio host Frank Ski of KISS 104.1 FM called him "an icon to the community," and Pitchfork's memorial described him as down-to-earth and approachable in his neighborhood while "ferocious" on record, communicating "the bleak and unforgiving nature of street life with wisdom and superhero bravado."[16](https://theshaderoom.com/listicle/remembering-trouble-anniversary-atlanta-rappers-death/) • [5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-atlanta-rapper-trouble-with-5-essential-tracks/) His label Def Jam, which announced his death, called him "a true voice for his city and an inspiration to the community he proudly represented."[11](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/rockdale-county/man-accused-killing-atlanta-rapper-trouble-pleads-guilty/UGTDLHW6VNGJHAJMQRAZD5AYYY/?outputType=amp)
## References
1. [Trouble Biography by David Jeffries, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/trouble-mn0000538717/biography)
2. [Man pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Atlanta rapper's 2022 death, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 21, 2025)](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-voluntary-manslaughter-in-atlanta-rappers-2022-death/53GV2YQEZFHTHOF7XMKH2ALF4Q/)
3. [Atlanta rapper Trouble has died, aged 34, NME](https://www.nme.com/news/music/atlanta-rapper-trouble-has-died-aged-34-3240067)
4. [Reservoir Signs Rapper Trouble to a Worldwide Publishing Deal, Reservoir Media (November 1, 2018)](https://reservoir-media.com/reservoir-signs-rapper-trouble-to-a-worldwide-publishing-deal/)
5. [Remembering Atlanta Rapper Trouble With 5 Essential Tracks, Pitchfork (June 6, 2022)](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-atlanta-rapper-trouble-with-5-essential-tracks/)
6. [Trouble, NTS artist profile](https://www.nts.live/artists/52290-trouble)
7. [Trouble: Year in 2016 Album Review, Pitchfork (January 24, 2017)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22813-year-in-2016/)
8. [Trouble: Edgewood Album Review, Pitchfork (March 28, 2018)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/trouble-edgewood/)
9. [Atlanta rapper Trouble has died, The FADER (June 5, 2022)](https://www.thefader.com/2022/06/05/atlanta-rapper-trouble-has-died)
10. [Trouble talks new 'Thug Luv' album, REVOLT (May 22, 2020)](https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-05-22/76250/trouble-talks-new-thug-luv-album-his-love-for-boosie-badazz-connecting-with-jeezy-for-medusa-and-more)
11. [Man accused of killing Atlanta rapper Trouble pleads guilty, WSB-TV (March 21, 2025)](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/rockdale-county/man-accused-killing-atlanta-rapper-trouble-pleads-guilty/UGTDLHW6VNGJHAJMQRAZD5AYYY/?outputType=amp)
12. [Man charged in Atlanta rapper Trouble's murder enters plea, gets 20 years, Atlanta News First (March 21, 2025)](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/03/21/man-charged-atlanta-rapper-troubles-murder-enters-negotiated-plea-gets-20-years/)
13. [Bond denied for man accused of murdering Atlanta rapper Trouble, Atlanta News First (June 5, 2022)](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2022/06/05/reports-atlanta-rapper-trouble-shot-killed/)
14. [Trouble Threw a Water Gun Fight Event In Atlanta That Had a Big Turnout, RESPECT. (June 2019)](https://respect-mag.com/2019/06/trouble-threw-a-water-gun-fight-for-the-community-of-atlanta/)
15. [Atlanta rapper Trouble: Hundreds attend balloon release block party, FOX 5 Atlanta (June 9, 2022)](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/atlanta-rapper-trouble-hundreds-attend-balloon-release-block-party)
16. [Remembering Trouble On Anniversary Of Atlanta Rapper's Death, The Shade Room](https://theshaderoom.com/listicle/remembering-trouble-anniversary-atlanta-rappers-death/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › Southern US rap (Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Florida) › Atlanta and Georgia rap*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license