Words: Willie G.
Photos: Marc Morrsion
Houston’s hip hop scene has been keeping it trill for a minute now; long enough that you probably got all its automotive swagger decoded…You can spot 84s wrapped in Vogues and have had your Tercel swangin’ down the block more than once. But when it comes to that “poppin’ trunk” business, do you really know ‘bout what it do? Cause if you think the trunk-waving, neon-bragging and block-shaking in the videos is just some car-show or parking lot bullshit, Papi, you might not be as up on the Dirty Third as you think.
See, if you’ve never been to Texas, there’s a picture to paint…one bigger, better and wetter than most of ya’ll are accustomed to. Lone Star cats don’t sweat under the blazing southern sun—they drip pride out their skin. The “Do it big, or stay the hell home” philosophy reigns supreme…and when you’re ballin’, it’s what’s on your belt, in your mouth and under your trunk lid that tells the world who you are. To fully understand the mentality behind what is perhaps the most unique aspect of Houston’s car culture, Mass Appeal went deep into the heart and soul of Texas, to politic with Rap-A-Lot recording artist Trae:
By now, everybody knows pop-trunks for their hydraulic motion and illuminated messages, but just talking design, is there a lot more to it than that?
Well, yes and no—there could be, but it ain’t necessary. When you pop your trunk, you’re telling the world who you are. So if you want to do that with just neon, or leather, or whatever…it all works. Me, I make mine loud–that’s who I am. I roll up into the parking lot with all my 18s going on blast and everybody just cuts their shit off ’cause they’re no competition.
So, how long has this form of expression been going on?
Man, it ain’t nothing new. I remember dudes poppin’ they trunks when I was a little boy and it wasn’t like it had just started then. It may change and evolve but it’s no trend.
It sounds like the point is to tell people, “I’m in charge.” What is it that’ll make you pop your trunk on someone?
It can be about that power but most of the time it’s just showing off and telling them what you’re about. You know, my click is Assholes By Nature and that’s a good way to describe most of us here in Houston. We’re arrogant assholes—if I got something better than you, then I’m showing it off in a big way and bragging about it until you can top me. Nobody really ever gets offended ’cause it’s just what’s expected—that’s the lifestyle.
Like, “Damn, he got me!” huh…so when is it about power?
In some of the hoods around here, guys rep by having the same color car as everyone else. Around this one block, they all red…so if you’re riding through there in your candy green slab, they might circle you like vultures, waving their trunks. If you’re from out of town it can be scary, but it ain’t violent. It’s just them letting you know where you’re at and how they do in their hood.
And what do the boys in blue think about all this?
They try to ticket us for it, they pass laws as quick as we think of new things to do, but they never last or hold up. Poppin’ trunks is Houston, it’s what we’ve been, what we are…and nobody’s going to stop it.
