Madison, Wisconsin is not a place well known for hip hop at all. The beer and cheese making state has yet to produce a household act, despite some rising underground stars coming out of Milwaukee. The state’s capital, Madison, has been on hip hop lockdown for years after concerts downtown turned violent. The city was left without a true underground hip hop scene, which was once starting to form before its downfall. Despite the current climate, there is a beam of hope for the hopelessly drunk college drunk of Madison. The hope lies within Trust’N and The Lost Boys, a collective of artists formed within the last couple of years. Coming from a city where hip hop is almost frowned upon, Trust’N has elevated to great heights as both an artist and entrepreneur. He’s not only elevated, but has been helping other artists get access to much-needed resources through his company Lost Boy Entertainment.
Christian Anderson, better known as his stage name Trust’N, set out on his musical journey at the age of 16, freestyling in the car with his friends as they drove from place to place. After being encouraged by his peers, he began recording himself in his basement studio. Recalling his early beginnings, Trust’N said, “I used to steal my brothers recording equipment, or just record on my parents computer so I wouldn’t piss my brother off.” Working hard for hours a day on his craft, hip hop didn’t come easy to Trust’N. He said, “that’s really how I started. I was pretty terrible at first, but just kept with it. We’ve come a long way since then.”
Trust’N began releasing tracks as a sophomore in high school, despite feeling nervous at first to do so. “I was just a white privileged kid from Middleton; I didn’t think anybody would take it seriously at all. I was pretty self-conscious of my sound at first”, said Trust’N. After releasing throwback tracks with his childhood friend Lil Myro called “Back In 07” and “Jeans On My Feet,” the young creative started gaining attention from his peers. “I just remember we dropped the song (Back In ’07), and people kept telling me the next day at school how they liked it. It was pretty surprising,” said Trust’N. Trust’N continued to release music throughout his high school career, gaining new fans with each release. However, it wasn’t until a couple of years later when Trust’N’s sound started to take off.
In the summer of 2019, Trust’N dropped “Lapse” with fellow Madison-based artist BKWDS. The duo broke into the top 15 on the iTunes hip hop/rap charts, gaining major exposure for the first time. The album has been streamed over 3 Million times, making the artists’ platform even bigger. Trust’N took advantage of the opportunity, making his premiere on some of the world’s biggest hip hop media outlets like Lyrical Lemonade. It was a moment of history for Madison’s city, putting itself on the map for the first time in years. It was just a taste of what was to come for Trust’N, and the success didn’t end there.
After being quiet for months, Trust’N took full advantage of last summer break, releasing his hit song “Lucy” with Lil Myro. The song was used as a sound, and blew up on TikTok quickly, putting the artists all over the apps “For You Page”. It was a viral success, as the artists made their debut in the top 10 on the iTunes charts. It was Trust’N’s second time in the top 15 that year. The record helped the artists get looks from major labels, and Trust’N eventually ended up signing with the same manager who has helped produce hip hop acts like A$AP Ferg and Lil Tjay, among others. Something no artist from Wisconsin would typically get the opportunity to do.
While being an artist, Trust’N has used his successes to build a full functioning marketing firm called Lost Boy Entertainment. The company was founded by Trust’N, his college roommate, and a couple of other close friends, and was inspired by characters from Disney’s Peter Pan. The agency specializes in Public Relations, Branding, Music Marketing, and Influencer management, helping thousands of businesses, entrepreneurs, and artists flourish in their respective fields. “I never had a manager. We did all of this ourselves. Every opportunity we got, we created it for ourselves. We manifested this. All of it” said, Trust’N.
One of the company’s most significant assets is its vast network base of resources. The LLC is tapped into places most independent artists can’t get to, extending open arms to those willing to put the work and come correctly with a budget. “We’ve already helped so many people. Whether it’s press, promo, anything. You name it, we can do it. I got screwed over a lot of times as an independent artist. I want to help others so they don’t have to go through the same stuff I did. I wanna be a resource not a sales pitch” said, Trust’N. The company has given opportunities to artists who would never have a chance through their services. Many musicians see Trust’N as a helping hand, some even refer to him as the “Robinhood” of the music industry. A fitting title for a young man giving unrealistic opportunities to others.
With one foot in the music industry and one foot even deeper in the business, Trust’N plays a game juggling both at once. The 22-year-old star dropped out of his senior year of college this year to pursue his dream full time. Trust’N is currently working on new music and fulfilling the commitments of his new contract. He’s been seen traveling around the United States, often posting pictures in Los Angeles and New York City.
Although many people have already been surprised by his accolades thus far, Trust’N sees his life’s current stage as just the beginning. He said, “we are really just getting started. We haven’t really done much yet in the grand scheme of things. But we do have plans to. We are always up to something. Just know that.”
With new records on the way and his company thriving, Trust’N is in a great position to level up even further. There are many eyes on the Lost Boys, waiting for what will happen next.
You can find more info on Trust’N and Lost Boy Entertainment here
