Wavves. Kelly Rowland. Phantogram. Plenty of names — some quasi-predictable, some not — jumped out when Big Boi unveiled the track list for his sophomore solo album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. Jake Troth, a singer, songwriter, and producer with North Carolina roots and, to judge by this 2010 video for “Material Things,” a bit of Vampire Weekend’s rapper-referencing unabashedness about wealth, probably wasn’t one of them.
But Troth was the artist Daddy Fat Sax chose to have David Letterman spotlight by name in last night’s Late Show performance of the new album’s bouncy Troth collaboration “Apple of My Eye.” Cutting a gawky figure with glasses and a sportcoat, Troth and two backup singers looked overjoyed snapping along, while Big Boi rapped at high speed at the front of the stage. They had a full band, including two horn players, to back them up.
Sure, Big Boi has also been busy putting out a video for T.I.-Ludacris team-up “In the A” and hinting at a new verse on Frank Ocean’s André 3000-touting “Pink Matter.” But on network TV, he chose to lend his considerable credibility to Troth. Time will tell if Big Boi’s anointed “Apple” guest can come back for another bite.
