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The War & Treaty’s Michael Trotter Jr. Recounts Being Stabbed at Age 12 in a Gang
Michael Trotter Jr. from The War and Treaty has opened up about his challenging journey during a recent appearance on Bunnie XO’s Dumb Blonde podcast. Trotter detailed his traumatic experiences with gangs and family issues.
“Cleveland is not something I talk about often,” Trotter admitted. “Growing up in Cleveland, I was raised in a strict Christian household that felt very cult-like to me. From Friday night to Saturday night, it was nothing but God. You couldn’t do anything—no TV, no playing with friends, just church. It really altered my life for a while.”
He went on, “The rest of the week was a stark contrast. From Friday to Sunday it was all about ‘Hallelujah, Jesus, Jesus,’ and the rest of the week, we were living like s—.”
Trotter explained that within his faith community, everyone was pretending to be happy while divorce and drug problems were widespread. He began to rebel early in life after dealing with abuse from his father, who was battling addiction. “I turned to the streets in Cleveland and got involved in gang life. The gang association was called Folks, and I had a cousin high up in the gang. After my initiation, I started selling.”
He revealed that his involvement in gang activities began when he was just 11. “I got stabbed when I was 12, and I think that was the turning point,” he recalled. “I was lying in the streets of Cleveland, my cousin had been killed, and my mom then decided we needed to move to D.C.”
Over time, with confrontation and understanding of his PTSD, Trotter has been able to grow through his trauma. In 2014, he formed The War and Treaty with his wife, Tanya. Since then, the duo has experienced musical success, including a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2024 alongside Jelly Roll, Bunnie XO’s husband.
“The space we occupied was really important,” Michael previously stated to Billboard . “The two artists representing the genre were not your typical country music artists. You have Jelly Roll, a tatted-face rapper who can sing a little bit, and Mike and Tanya, these Black, gospel-trained singers. Country music is actively trying to challenge the narrative it has created, and I’m proud to be a part of that change.”
Source: Rolling Stone
