Lil' Troy is a rapper and label owner from Houston, Texas, and he holds a real place in the rise of Southern hip-hop thanks to one enduring anthem. "Wanna Be a Baller", released in 1999, was a laid-back ode to ambition and the good life that became a regional classic and a national hit, its hook quoted long after its chart run ended.
The track featured a roster of Houston talent, and it captured a moment in the city's hip-hop scene. Its aspirational hook became a blueprint that countless Southern rappers would echo. But Lil' Troy never repeated its success, and the rest of his catalogue stayed local.
On streaming, "Wanna Be a Baller" sits near 183 million plays, while his next most-streamed track has under seven million. That puts the ratio near 29, far past our 5.0 line.
By our measure Lil' Troy is a certified one-hit wonder. As with many regional rap breakouts, his influence on a local scene runs deeper than the streaming numbers suggest, but to the wider audience he remains the voice of one aspirational anthem.