When NME catches up with Trim, the 19 year old rapper is still buzzing from a major moment. Only days earlier, Young Thug welcomed her onto the stage during his New York pop up concert, where she performed her hit ‘Nobody’ as Thugger enthusiastically supported her from behind. It is another remarkable achievement in a whirlwind year for one of the brightest new voices emerging from Southern rap.
After attracting attention with the confident breakout track ‘Boat’ last year, Trim rapidly established herself as one of the most captivating new personalities in hip hop. Further songs including ‘Taxi’, ‘Bugatti’ and ‘Coconut Water’ have helped her build an expanding and devoted audience. Fans have already named her the “princess of rap”, drawn to her flexible flows and enormous personality.
The description might feel far too early for someone who has not released her first album, but Trim appears completely comfortable with it. “The fans are calling me it,” she shrugs. “When you’re around legendary people, they don’t even have to call you the ‘princess of rap’. That already stands.”
That confidence is strikingly different from the person Trim used to be. Before the huge streaming numbers, viral lines and royal rap nickname, she was Ahlaisha Kornickey, a self described quiet child growing up in Charleston, South Carolina. Her days followed a simple pattern of getting up, completing her responsibilities at school and returning directly home.
“I was very to myself,” she remembers, explaining that she often envied people around her who seemed naturally magnetic. “Everybody around me had explosive personalities. I had to learn how to gain that.” Today, Trim appreciates the quieter person she once was and the path she followed to intentionally develop her confidence. Over time, she became the commanding and expressive performer who now dominates festival stages and online conversations.
Before discovering rap, Trim was not searching for celebrity. She simply wanted to “find her purpose”, and music eventually gave her one. Recording allowed her to communicate openly after spending years without many opportunities to “get things off [her] chest”. That purpose now drives ‘Pass The Tiara’, the long awaited release she originally introduced as an EP but increasingly considers her debut album.
Instead of pursuing songs designed for immediate success, Trim hopes to create music that remains meaningful after repeated listens and connects deeply with her audience. She explains the central message she wants people to receive from the project: “Don’t think that just because you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do right now, that you’re a nobody. You should always feel comfortable within yourself, but always want more.”
That philosophy has shaped her creative process since she began recording around a year and a half ago. Trim avoids analysing every word, choosing instead to freestyle, follow her instincts and improve each track afterwards. Young Thug played an important role in developing that approach, particularly through his ability to treat his voice like an instrument. Hearing him “drag” and “sing” across intense trap production encouraged her to explore similar possibilities without copying his style. On ‘Nobody’ and ‘Coconut Water’, Trim moves freely between melodies, changing flows and varied vocal tones without being limited to a single sound. “I’m not afraid to try nothing new,” she says simply.
“Every song has to have meaning. Every song has to be your best work of art”
Even before a wider audience discovered her, Trim had already identified consistency as her greatest advantage. Inspired by NBA YoungBoy and his constant stream of releases, she made a commitment to herself: “I’m always gonna be a consistent artist.” Tracks such as ‘Taxi’ and ‘Bugatti’ arrived close together in 2025 and gradually attracted a dedicated online audience. When ‘Boat’ eventually broke through, new listeners explored her earlier catalogue and helped those songs find fresh momentum.
Trim now laughs at how differently she thought about those tracks when they first arrived. “When I received love after the fact, it kind of threw me off,” she shares, admitting that she had already left them behind mentally and was focused on creating another hit. “I had to learn that it’s OK to promote your old songs and let people enjoy your old music.” For Trim, building a career has never meant depending on one viral moment. It is about releasing consistently until listeners finally discover everything else.
That wider breakthrough came with ‘Coconut Water’ in May. Excitement had been growing since Trim previewed a section of the song online one month earlier. “Y’all wanted ‘Coconut Water’ for so long,” she laughs. “I made [it] in, like, February or March [this year]. The song was so old.” Like many of her releases, the track started as a freestyle. She later returned to develop the verses around a hook that felt impossible to abandon.
“I like to do catchy hooks,” she explains. “If I know it’s a good hook that everybody loves, I’m gonna come back to it.” After its release, the song spread rapidly across TikTok and other platforms, bringing her shape shifting delivery to millions of listeners. In the process, Trim moved from being one of rap’s most promising prospects to one of its most discussed newcomers.
The popularity of ‘Coconut Water’ also led to predictable comparisons with Nicki Minaj, one of rap’s most charismatic performers. Listeners noticed similarities in Trim’s animated delivery, quick flows and dramatic use of different voices, although she does not hear the connection herself. “Honestly… I don’t really get it,” she says. “‘Coconut Water’ don’t sound nothing like nobody. Not even Beyoncé.” That individuality may be exactly why her songs are so recognisable. A Trim record can be identified almost immediately because her sound belongs entirely to her.
Trim credit: @nastyjpeg
Comparisons with famous musicians are likely to continue. Earlier this year, Trim called ‘Pass The Tiara’ her own ‘Thriller’, prompting social media users to respond immediately and compare her with Michael Jackson. She insists her meaning was misinterpreted. “Every song has to have meaning,” she says. “Every song has to be your best work of art.” Trim was not claiming that she would outsell Jackson. She was describing her ambition to create a complete project that listeners would revisit for years. It is a demanding standard, but one that shows how seriously she approaches her first major statement.
A short conversation with Trim quickly reveals that her ambitions are enormous. When asked where she imagines herself in five years, she answers immediately: “A superstar.” She does not laugh or soften the declaration. However, her understanding of superstardom is less about fame than dedication. “Being a superstar is showing up,” she says. “A superstar shows up for their fans with no excuses. Having no fears. Going all in.” Whether she is sharing new songs, joining her inspirations on stage or privately developing her debut album, uncertainty does not appear to influence her decisions.
When the conversation turns to what she personally wants within five years, Trim pauses discussing career achievements and focuses on her own growth. “I want to be the best version that Ahlaisha never got to be,” she says. “Ahlaisha was scared. Ahlaisha was shy. Ahlaisha wasn’t explosive. Ahlaisha always had the confidence to try. She just didn’t try early enough.” After laughing, she adds: “My goals are self-goals. I’m not trying to be bigger than nobody. If it happens organically… I’m sorry.”
Trim’s ‘Nobody (Remix) (feat. G Herbo)’ arrives later this week through BuVision.
