Where does trill come from?

Well before the slang trill, English had many meanings for it, most notably for a “tremulous” sound in music (1600s) or for the vibrating sound of an R in languages like Spanish (1800s).

The slang trill is unrelated, blending the words true and real. Being trill means being authentic and working hard for your aspirations. In hip-hop culture, being trill is a testament that one is tough and can bounce back—and never forgetting one’s humble roots with success, wealth, and fame.

The hip-hop duo UGK was one of the first to use the slang trill on their 1992 EP The Southern Way. On his 2005 track “Trill,” rapper Paul Wall gave us a straight-up definition:

Trill is when you never fake, trill is when you real

Chasin’ after dollar bills, gotta get it how you live

Trill is when you hustle so you go out there and get it

Doin’ whatever you gotta do to make a meal ticket

Trill has also notably been used by larger-than-life rappers from Master P to Lil Wayne to ASAP Rocky. It’s even hit its full street reach as the name of popular streetwear brand, Been Trill.

In the 2000s, trill further expanded in slang as a nickname for the hood, where things are real.