Never Solo

Through it all, Tre9 was in PyRexx’s ear telling him to follow God. PyRexx was too proud to “downgrade” from ABN to ministry, especially after he left ABN. And two months after his departure, a crooked cop found codeine in PyRexx’s car during a parole compliance check and discarded his prescription, which PyRexx had paid a crooked doctor to write.

After three months in the Harris County Jail, PyRexx beat the case. PyRexx released his debut album N Dat Thang a month later on his own, as opposed to with Rap-A-Lot Records, which had signed Trae Tha Truth.

N Dat Thang sold approximately 9,000 copies but received criticism for poor sonic quality. PyRexx only spent two months on the entire album. It failed to interest a major label.

For the next eight months, PyRexx refused to apply for part-time jobs because they, too, would be a downgrade to ABN. He survived off features and drug dealing. Tre9 couldn’t figure out why.

“I want you to rap about why a guy like you from the streets can’t surrender and follow Christ,” Tre9 said.

PyRexx did, and Tre9 featured him on the song “Teach Me Your Ways.” But PyRexx didn’t stick around to be taught.

His complaints about his previous case were finally heard by a police Captain, who investigated and connected the crooked cop to several other botched charges. The cop was fired. His friends on the force responded by harassing PyRexx—flashing gang signs and posting in front of his house for hours.

In fear they would discover his on-going drug operation, PyRexx moved to Del Ray Beach, Florida. But four months later, a clash with his parole officer provoked her to revoke his parole in the state. He reloaded a U-Haul for a 22-hour drive back to Texas.

Within weeks, Rapzilla released the music video for “Teach Me Your Ways.”

And within weeks, PyRexx and a friend sipped codeine in the front seat of his car and fell asleep on railroad tracks.

“I don’t know how I got on top of these railroad tracks,” PyRexx said. “I don’t even remember.”

He woke up to police knocking on the window again. They found Xanax and marijuana in the car.

He wanted to follow God. He just wanted to succeed in music more, despite Tre9’s best attempts to prove that making music for God was succeeding.

Police had charged PyRexx for the Xanax and his friend for the marijuana, but PyRexx’s prescription allowed him to bond out two days later and beat the case.

He became desperate.

PyRexx released a series of videos begging his fans to promote him. He knew little about the music industry. His entire marketing scheme was submitting videos to WorldStarHipHop and engaging social media.

Two months later, PyRexx prepared to purchase more codeine, buying a baby bottle at a gas station. But he parked in a handicapped spot and left his car door wide open, attracting police who found a gram bag of marijuana that his father had left in the back of the car. PyRexx had prescriptions for the bottles of Xanax and codeine that they found, so they booked him on the illegal handicapped parking and marijuana, towing his ride and suspended his license for six months—and he spent 30 days in jail.

PyRexx proceeded to take his desperation out on Ashley, verbally and physically. She repeatedly called Tre9 for advice. After three more months of features and drug dealing, a broken tail light gave police an excuse to search his car at a strip club. They found more codeine and arrested him.

PyRexx’s charges had piled up. He still owned a prescription. But if for some odd reason he didn’t beat the case—like he encountered another crooked cop—he would serve 25-to-life.

PyRexx returned to the Harris County Jail, where Tre9 is a volunteer chaplain. The next day, Tre9 visited PyRexx with a red Bible in hand.

“You forgot this,” Tre9 said, reciting the conclusion of the “Teach Me Your Ways” music video.

PyRexx just put his head down.

After a chapel service, Tre9 told the jail’s Latino-gang-enforcer-turned-Christian-evangelist named Sonic to talk to PyRexx. Praying in the chapel with Sonic and Tre9, PyRexx finally realized that he had two options—change or die in prison, leaving PyRexx in tears.

He chose to change. A couple weeks later, he beat the case.

But upon his release, PyRexx’s stress grew. Without drugs to sell, his bank account had withered. Tre9 lent him $1,200 to keep his car from getting impounded.

PyRexx started using drugs again. But (as you’ve already learned) Tre9 wouldn’t quit. He called PyRexx, invited him to work out, convinced him to stop using and, since August 2013, PyRexx has followed God.