Today, March 19, is the 42nd birthday of New York rapper Tru Life.

Born Roberto Rosado Jr., The Lower East side native was rapping all throughout his youth. Tru released his first album in 2001, Cryin' Out Loud, but his talent was first recognized in 2005 when he was signed to Roc-La-Familia, the music subsidiary imprint under Roc-A-Fella, by Jay Z. While on Roc-La-Familia, Tru dropped two mixtapes, 2005’s The New New York: The Movement, and 2007’s Tru York.

When Jay Z parted ways with Def Jam in 2008, Tru claimed in an XXL interview that he was paid $300,000 to leave Def Jam as well, buying out his contract.

In the summer of 2009, Tru Life was arrested in connection of the stabbing death of two young men in a NYC hotel lobby. After years of legal proceedings, Tru Life and his brother, Marcus, pled guilty to chasing and stabbing two men to death in 2011. Tru was released from prison in 2016 and spoke to XXL about relaunching his rap career with a new album and new outlook.

"I’m working on an album. I know people want so much from me. They expect so much from me. They’re like, “Right now, right now.” But, they don’t understand it’s not so easy to come home from doing eight years and jump into the studio and everything be about music, music, music. Especially when you got kids and a life and your life has been so torn apart by being gone for eight years and you’re coming home and picking up all those pieces, you know? It’s just not that easy of a transition."

Happy Birthday, Tru Life!

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