Raised in the city of Boyle Heights, one of the most notorious and dangerous areas in Los Angeles, actor/rapper Steve Castillo aka Troublesome found his way out of a life of future trouble when he decided to give his musical skills at try at the age of 17.
Steve looked to his West Coast musical idols for some inspiration and took his name from a song of the late legend 2Pac (Troublesome ’96) and recorded his first song to the beat of Xzibit’s “Paparazzi.” Troublesome recalls;
“It was the first verse I ever put down and of course it was horrible. Anybody who tells you that they were great from the start is lying to you, but I’ve spent many years trying to perfect my craft and style and I believe that I’m making quality stuff right now,”
Not one just for the recording booth, Troublesome has also been seen in TV shows and commercials ranging from NCIS: Los Angeles to McDonalds. He recounts his work, including scenes with LL Cool J;
“A friend of mine named Carlos got me plugged in to my first gig a few years back and it’s gone full force since, I first met LL back in 2002 in Vegas at a convention and he was so cool even back then. Years later, I was booked for three episodes of NCIS and it was a blast working with him.”
Recently, Troublesome just released his new song and video called “West Coast Anthem” which shouts out more than 80 different West Coast acts and has numerous cameos in the video. Troublesome explains the record and video;
“The record pays homage to my home, the West Coast. I shout out 81 artists in one song, which has never been done before. I’ve got cameos in the video from major artists like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, YG, Glasses Malone, Kurupt, Too Short, Warren G, and the list goes on, I’m humbled and honored to have support from these guys. Without the artists that I shouted out in the record, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. The first verses shout out the OG’s with the last one’s focusing on the new guys that are out doing it big. I tour with a lot of these guys and do shows with them, so it’s more than just me shouting out a bunch of artists on a record.”
You can learn more about Troublesome and his music at the following: Instagram and Twitter, and be sure to check out the West Coast Anthem video below!
Troublesome – West Coast Anthem (Feat. Outwest) Video
