CEO Trayle Gets Real On "Ok Cool"

Over the past few years, CEO Trayle consistently fed Chicago with strong projects. Since the release of his 2017 debut, “200,000”, he has dropped an additional five mixtapes. Having put in years of work, Trayle’s presence on the track has an air of experience and wisdom. His hometown, Chicago, is of course known for drill music and violent diss songs. While Trayle’s music has that distinctive Chicago sound, his lyrics have a depth unmatched by anyone else in the city. This is especially true on one of his most buzzing records right now, “Ok Cool,” produced by Rudynovski.

Through a brutally honest expression of emotion, the song details Trayle’s complex relationship with a female. He reflects on the conflicting feelings that she caused him to undergo. You can feel Trayle’s agony as he talks about his heart being broken and not even caring about her anymore. Trayle compares their relationship to his relationship with drugs as he raps “Yeah bitch you cool but you ain’t better than a perc bitch.” One of the most impressive aspects of the song is how specifically Trayle describes the relationship. Nothing he says feels recycled or generic. One of the most unique bars is “Bitch you ain’t leave when I was down, left I was up/ that’s bout the realest shit you did but I don’t give no fuck.” So often, rappers talk about girls flocking to them with fame and money. Yet Trayle talks about just the opposite. This is a puzzling line, but it really speaks to how unique of a story Trayle tells in this song.

While Trayle has been working for years, now there is a strong local push behind his movement. “Ok Cool” has been getting consistent airtime on Chicago radio station 107.5 WCGI. I can’t imagine how censored the radio version is, but it is certainly a sign that the song is moving. Trayle also recently put out a record called “El Presidente” with Chi-town hero DJ Victoriouz. Check out the music video to “Ok Cool,” directed by Lawrence Mahone, above.

Written by Ben Sauberman