In an industry of trial and error, rapper Trinidad James broke into the mainstream on his first try with his ostentatious 2013 anthem “All Gold Everything.” • James kicked down the door with his 2012 debut mixtape, Don’t Be S.A.F.E.. Led by the platinum-certified “All Gold Everything,” the project hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums. • His subsequent deal with Def Jam Records set the stage for 2013, when he contributed verses to August Alsina’s platinum-certified “I Luv This Shit” and A$AP Ferg’s “Work (Remix).” He also made the 2013 XXL Freshman Class list. • After getting dropped by Def Jam, James released his 2015 debut album, No One Is Safe, through his independent label Gold Gang Records. • In 2017, James was tapped to star in Stage 13’s Independent, a docuseries following the lives of successful independent hip-hop artists.