West African Rapper TLP Star is making waves with his single “We Outside”

Trust, Loyalty, Pain

These three elements are most important to the rapper TLP Star and to his family, representing the acronym for the first part of his name. Wise beyond his years, TLP Star’s music fearlessly transcends across all listeners going through difficult times. He recently released the much needed single, “We Outside” , that sends us a critical message to keep our spirits high and our heads up despite things looking down or going badly.

The West African rapper was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone where he and his family fled to in an attempt to escape the civil war outbreak in their home country of Liberia. Unfortunately, a civil war broke out in Sierra Leone as well, so TLP Star’s family went back and forth between the two. He spent the majority of his younger years in refugee camps until 2007, when he and his family moved to the states and settled down in Roanoke, VA.

TLP Star’s passion for music sparked during his involvement in the church choir. He wrote his first song at the age of 14 in his school’s library and started taking it more seriously around 17 years old. Music gave him a voice. “It’s a way to express my feelings and also release stress. It’s my way to vent and tell my side. I pour my heart out in all my songs.” He’s experienced multiple bouts of tragedy within the past year. In March 2021 TLP Star got locked up for gun charges, with prosecution pressing 5 felonies against him. “Sitting in my cell I thought I was sure I’d be doing at least 5 or more. This period of time showed me how I was unfocused and wasting my life. I ended up bailing out, the case is still continuing now but my God has blessed me and I have only 3 charges to fight. When I came home I promised myself I’m only focused on my progress.” In addition, a close family friend had passed away. Despite these lows, TLP Star continued with music, treating it like a vessel for his pain.

“The pressure really amplified but yet I’m home smiling, still focused on my grind, safe to say I’m blessed.”

TLP Star’s musical style is reminiscent of Lil Durk, Meek Mills, Est Gee, infused with dark moments grounded in reality, but ends with hope. In his track “Solidarity Thoughts,” he refuses to be broken by the trials, claiming a “big smile, head high,ain’t no breaking me!”

The independent artist is a man with a bright vision for life, hence, the “Star” in the latter part of his name. He also includes, “my hometown in Virginia is called Roanoke or ‘Star City’ and the country I’m from, Liberia, is known as a ‘Lone Star’ country. I wanted to pay respects to both of them.” Staying close to his roots pays dividends for TLP Star, as he gets his motivation and drive from the struggles he faced back in Sierra Leone and Liberia. He emphasizes, “The poverty, hunger, and lack of opportunity are mostly due to the blessings of the Lord.”

TLP Star wants to remind his fans that “we all have trials, we all feel pain that it is not the end of the world, keep going, I try to stand as an example.”

Check out TLP Star’s latest singles “We Outside” and “Solitary Thoughts”:

You can follow TLP Star on social media @tlp_star3 and stream his music on all streaming platforms.