Life's a Trip (stylized in all capitals) is the debut studio album by American rapper Trippie Redd. It was released on August 10, 2018, by TenThousand Projects and Caroline Distribution. The album features guest appearances from Diplo, Young Thug, Reese Laflare, and Travis Scott. Production was handled by OZ, Murda Beatz, BeatPusher, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Avedon, Diplo, Scott Storch, Wheezy, Boaz van de Beatz and We Are The Stars, among others.
Life's a Trip sees Trippie Redd explore emo rap; one critic wrote that the project had "a compelling outcome", and that "Trippie Redd is teaching us ... that emo rap is an aesthetic, not a conversation topic". The album was supported by five singles: "Dark Knight Dummo", "Uka Uka", "Wish", "How You Feel" and "Taking a Walk". In January 2019, Redd embarked upon his 'Life's a Trip' tour. The record project was a commercial success, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was also well-received by critics and is regarded as a pioneering emo rap album. On June 20, 2019, Life's a Trip was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). On November 9, 2022, the album's certification was updated to platinum.
Background In May 2018 on Instagram Live, Trippie Redd stated: "It's going to drop around July and I've made over 35 songs for that shit ... I don't know if it's going to be all 35 songs on the album, but I'm going to tell you how it's going to be: There's two parts of the album. There is a more artsy, lyrical part of the album. That's where like, 'Taking a Walk', 'Oomps Revenge', 'Can You Rap Like Me 2', 'How You Feel (song)', all the rock songs, the R&B songs, the very artsy rap songs, and shit are going to be on that side." Redd also said that Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne would appear on the project. Interviewing with XXL on June 28, 2018, Redd stated: "You can expect more rock influences [on the album]. You can expect more R&B. More cultural bangers ... You know, shit like that really. More of everything." The release date and cover art were unveiled on July 31, 2018. The album was then released on August 10.
Songs Overview Speaking via Spotify’s RapCaviar documentary series, Trippie Redd stated: "The general message of Life's a Trip is life is like a hallucination. We have our ups, we have our downs, it’s all over the place, but somehow it all comes together." Tracks 1–3 The album opens with the song "Together", which sees Redd singing about striving to “keep it together” and fighting his inner demons over a rock instrumental. Redd released snippets of the song, then variously titled "Bigger Than Satan" or "A Love Letter Backwards", on April 18 and May 9, 2018. On July 29, the song was released as "Together / Bigger Than Satan", along with an accompanying music video through an unofficial YouTube channel called "TR666Plus". Preston Hooker of The Charger wrote that the song set "the tone of the album", and Eric Skelton of Complex said: "Over stripped-down production anchored by mellow guitars, Trippie's vocals take center stage as he delivers a dark, paranoid set of lyrics." In the album's second track, and fifth single, "Taking a Walk" (released August 6, 2018), Redd sings over a "minimal trap beat". Lyrically, he "asks a nameless other on the Scott Storch-and-Avedon-produced [song] ... whether 'they think I wanna die.'" He also references suicide doors. Redd initially posted a snippet of the song in December 2017, posting a second on April 4, 2018. The latter video depicted him in the studio with Nebu Kiniza. Several publications listed the song as a standout from the album.
Charles Holmes of XXL wrote that the album's third song, "Wish" (Diplo featuring Trippie Redd), completes the opening "trilogy of morbidity". The song was first previewed in October 2017, but underwent substantial changes by the time of its release as part of Diplo's extended play California, released on March 23, 2018. Listeners noticed that Redd's vocals were quieter, with the background vocals removed. On the same day of Californias release, Redd posted to Instagram: "Just cried about wish being changed 💔 hurts my soul to have my song rearranged and tampered with when I had it perfectly how I wanted sorry I have failed u guys and I’ll try my best to fix it back [sic]." The original mix of the song then appeared on Life's a Trip in August, labelled "Trippie Mix". Lyrically, Redd discusses suicide and love, referencing Kurt Cobain. A music video for the song, depicting Diplo and Redd in a mansion, was released on April 25, 2018. An alternate music video was released in February 2020, portraying Redd killing clones of himself, before a stand-in actor kills him by mistake, forcing the video crew to dispose of his body. James d'Apice of The Music said: "'Wish' is a contradiction, at once chilled and urgently pulsing." Trevor Smith of HotNewHipHop described the style of the song as almost "bright and fast enough" to be pop radio-friendly, though it has a dark subject matter. Joe Biglin of In Review Online remarked on Redd's shrieking vocals. "Wish" enjoyed a period of renewed consumption after 2025, when the song went viral and entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, debuting at number 88. On February 18, 2026, the song achieved double Platinum certification. Tracks 4–5
The fourth song, "Missing My Idols", sees the album break form into one of its "punchy, energetic raps". The song was originally titled "Can You Rap Like Me 2", and was intended as a sequel to "Can You Rap Like Me" (A Love Letter to You, 2017). It was first previewed on Redd’s Instagram on May 2, 2018. Trey Alston of Revolt further contextualised the song, writing that "'Missing My Idols' is the full version of the fiery snippet that he released a couple of months ago, featuring a plethora of bars that trick you into submission." In the song, Redd pays homage to Lil Wayne and raps several "punchlines". On May 8, 2018, Redd stated that a music video for the song would be released. Subsequently, on 28 June, Redd performed the song as part of his 2018 XXL Freshman freestyle. Kyle Atkinson, writing for K-UTE, named the track amongst the best on the album.
The fifth song, "Forever Ever", produced by Murda Beatz, features Young Thug on the chorus and Reese Laflare. The song was originally titled "Hakuna Matata" before release. Holmes (XXL) opined that the two-song run of "Missing My Idols" and "Forever Ever" constituted "The album’s peak", and "back-to-back perfection". He added that "On 'Forever Ever', Trippie Redd does something that even the most talented rappers have problems accomplishing: He creatively matches Young Thug’s wildest melodic impulses, with both artists delivering their best performances in recent memory." Holmes concluded: "It speaks volumes that Thug’s otherworldly hook is almost outdone by the first four bars of Trippie’s melodic verse, which could’ve easily served as the song’s hook itself." Likewise, Patrick Lyons of HotNewHipHop wrote that the song "shows that Trippie can hang with Young Thug in both departments [melodic and lyrical qualities], which only a handful of other artists can claim." Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork wrote that "Young Thug rolls through on "Forever Ever" to briefly steal the show and pass the polarizing songbird baton to Trippie."
Tracks 6–8
"Bird Shit" – produced by Wheezy – is the sixth song on Life's a Trip. The song was teased by Redd on an Instagram Live on May 20, 2018. Lyrically, Trippie raps about his doubters, dismissing their words as meaningless to him. Lyons wrote that the song was "a rare chance to hear Trippie kick back and relax, which allows him to explore more creative vocal patterns." Contemplating the song's effect, Joe Biglin (In Review Online) wrote that "words mean less for their potential to provoke representational ideas and more as a means of conjuring emotionally-charged imagery. First, the image of 'shit'; second, comparing haters to said shit ('shitty n*ggas is some turds'); and, most importantly, a nonsense title like 'Bird Shit' gives Trippie an excuse to squawk like a bird as loudly as possible in the ad-lib." The next song, "Bang!" (stylized in all capitals), was previewed by Redd in full on Instagram on June 22, 2018. The song "starts unassuming enough with XXXTentacion-reminiscent guitar arpeggios and plodding, yet delicate, sing-song delivery", and the introduction of "tinny high-hat[s]" serves as the beat drop. Biglin added that "nothing can prepare listeners for the moment when Trippie rips through a rockstar wail of “BAAAAAAANG / BAAAAAANG!” And halt the clickbait presses — Trippie is kind of a rockstar." In its extended outro, "Bang!" samples gun sounds from Inuyashiki, an anime television series adaptation. Lyons commended the song, writing that it "manages to pose as a guitar ballad and a turn-up joint at the same time, and might be the best distillation of Trippie's unique skillset to date." Biglin similarly praised the song as a standout, labelling it "perhaps the zenith of Life’s a Trip".
"How You Feel" serves as the song's fourth single and eighth track. It was teased on April 9 2018 via Instagram and contains an interpolation of the guitar in Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On". During the song, Redd compares his love for a significant other to that of a Girl Scout for her cookies. Holmes (XXL) opined that Redd was singing to his deceased elder brother, citing the lyric 'If you were here, be so proud' and noting that "his voice sounds heartbroken and raw." Alston (Revolt) wrote that the song constituted one of "the rare glimpses of hope that pokes through the despondent surface". Atkinson (K-UTE) listed the song as a project standout, whilst Lyons (HotNewHipHop) called it the best song from the three drumless tracks on the album ("Together", "How You Feel", and "Underwater FlyZone").
Tracks 9–11 "Dark Knight Dummo" (featuring Travis Scott), the album's ninth song, is also its lead single. Producer Honorable C.N.O.T.E. later revealed that he made the beat whilst on Instagram Live, and was inspired to make a dark instrumental by the prospect of war between North Korea and the United States, and that of World War III. He also related that Mike Dean was involved in mixing the vocals, and that the beat was originally intended for rapper Fooly Faime. Trippie Redd originally teased the song via Instagram Live on November 19, 2017, saying: "Can you guess who’s featured on this? He loves cactuses", before singing the hook of Scott’s "90210". On November 20, Scott tweeted the lyrics of the song’s hook. On November 29, Redd uploaded another video to Instagram, teasing Scott's verse in the song. After some leaks, the song was released on December 6, 2017. During the track, Scott declares that "Astroworld's my planet, my home", hinting at his then-upcoming album Astroworld (August 3, 2018). Redd and Scott variously reference Voldo, the Dallas Mavericks, Mister Fantastic, David Blaine and Bloody Mary in the song. An accompanying music video was released on February 20, 2018, depicting Redd and Scott battling a horde of zombies on a farm. The video was directed by White Trash Tyler. Lyons (HotNewHipHop) described it as "clamorous", whilst d'Apice of The Music called it "a schlocky epic, hosting the melodrama of spooky chords overlaid with buzzy paranoia." Hooker (The Charger) stated that the track "stands out as an electric song that is perfect for a mosh pit." Commenting on the musical relationship between Redd and Scott, Alston (Revolt) wrote that "Travis Scott’s excessive use of Auto-Tune juxtaposes with Trippie’s wonderfully stripped voice, making for the latter’s vocals to stand pristine on 'Dark Knight Dummo'." The track became his Redd's first song as a lead artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.