Trina Delivers a Stellar Performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts serves as a reminder that Trina laid a lot of the foundation for women in hip-hop.

April 11, 2023

Trina Photo by Kendrick Ken

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In the pantheon of hip-hop, Trina often feels like an afterthought. However, in South Florida, she's revered as an icon.

Last week, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series gave the rest of the world the chance to finally catch up when it hosted the "Pull Over" rapper for a five-song set. Trina kicked off her set with "Mama (The One)," dedicating the track to her mother, who died of cancer in 2019. Three backup singers stood in for Kelly Price, who sings the chorus on the original track.

After an emotional start, Trina kicked into "Da Baddest Bitch," the 2000 single that brought her mainstream attention, introducing herself as "the original baddest bitch." (Can't argue with facts.) For the NPR session, she did some self-censoring, omitting memorable lines like, "See, I fuck him in the living room/While his children ain't home, I make him eat it while my period on." Oddly enough, she kept verses like, "See, if I had the chance to be a virgin again/I'd be fucking by the time I'm ten." Part of the appeal of the original track is the outlandish — and hilarious — claims Trina boasts about.

The set follows with acoustic renditions of "Single Again" and "Here We Go." But for this bite-sized performance, there's only one song Trina could have closed it out with. That's, of course, her Trick Daddy collaboration "Nann Nigga." Released in 1999, a then-unknown Katrina Taylor jumped on the track and held her own against Trick, catapulting her into stardom.

In all, it's perhaps one of the best Tiny Desk Concerts the series has delivered so far, reminding everyone that Trina laid a lot of the foundation for women in hip-hop. You can hear Trina's influence in the work of artists like Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Flo Milli, Latto, and, of course, City Girls. Here's hoping the music industry keeps giving Trina her flowers.

Watch the full performance below:

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Jose D. Duran is associate editor of Miami New Times where he primarily oversees the arts and culture and music beats. Jose joined the New Times staff in June 2008 but has been covering Miami culture since 2005. His work has also appeared in publications likeVice, Billboard, and Spin. He’s earned numerous accolades including placing first for Weekly Newspaper Contest: Business Reporting from the Florida Press Association in 2020; placing third for the Writing: Light Feature from the Florida Press Club in 2019; and placing third in Weekly Newspaper Contest: Best Obituary from the Florida Press Association in 2015. Jose holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida.

Contact: Jose D. Duran

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