With a string of hits in the late ’90s and first half of the ’00s, rapper Trick Daddy was the king of Miami hip-hop in the years before Rick Ross. • Trick Daddy grew up loving 2Pac, whom he admired for his realness and vivid storytelling. • After serving time for drug and firearm possession and attempted murder, Trick Daddy commited himself to music. His breakthrough came with his appearance on 2 Live Crew rapper Luke’s 1996 single “Scarred.” • Trick Daddy earned a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records and scored big with his 1998 sophomore effort, www.thug.com. The album featured “Nann Ni**a,” a Top 5 hit on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. • Having signed with Atlantic, Trick Daddy notched his first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2001’s “I’m a Thug.” He cracked the Top 10 with 2004’s “Let’s Go,” featuring Twista, Lil Jon, and a sample of Ozzy Osbourne’s metal classic “Crazy Train.” • From 1998 to 2009, Trick Daddy landed seven albums in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.