It’s always a heavy time in Hip Hop when we lose our legends. Rich Homie Quan’s passing is one that still shocks the world. The news broke through a series of tweets from his peers, including Jacquees, Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber, and more.

REVOLT was able to catch up with rapper and friend of the late 34-year-old, Trinidad James, at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards 2024, where he reflected on the “Type of Way” artist’s legacy.

He began by expressing how Quan’s smile was “infectious,” before delving into how the Hip Hop star had to “grow up so fast.”

“In reality, you have to grow up so fast when you’re a Black man in America, especially when you don’t grow up in a good neighborhood or something like that,” he stated.

James continued, “There’s another aspect of it when you become a famous rapper where you have to be everything to everyone – not only your family or immediate friends but your fans and the media, getting awards, and things like that. When you’re not consistent, it begins to eat up at you and you begin to question if you’re good enough anymore. The most beautiful thing about Quan is his writing is amazing, his energy was amazing, and he was always such a beautiful kid. He had to grow up so fast, but the beauty that a lot of people didn’t get to experience from Quan is we weren’t able to see him as much in the media. A lot of things that happened in his career allowed his energy to get shadowed, which affected how people think about him because you only know him for his hits. He’s so much more than that – he’s a father, he’s a great son, and he’s an amazing person. I’m happy to have gotten to see that side of him and anyone who asks me about him, I’m happy to share how he has the best smile ever, will always make you happy, and an incredible writer. I wish he wrote for more people because he’s such a great writer and he’s super missed.”

The Trinidadian star also reflected on his own impact within the music industry, emphasizing his influence in encouraging individuality. “If there’s anything you can learn from Trinidad James, it’s that you can be whatever you think you can be inside your head and that could be successful,” he shared.

Speaking on his own career progression, he revealed, “It’s hard for me to be like other people. I [would] rather be slow and find my way than to be the quickest thing — to be on someone else’s way. It’s not who I am. Finally, 12 years later, I’ve had enough time on the ground and time in the media for people to realize my morals and my foundation, which they identify with. There’s always been people in my journey who would share their identity with it and how they ‘rock with me.’”