“The type of team we have with Propane and Jared is incredible. Everything we do is like a no-look pass, we know the other person is going to catch it,” says Trinidad James who’s new single “Graduated” debuted in the blockbuster comedy ‘Night School’ starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish.
The former Def Jam signee has teamed up with The Hipster Orchestra to create a song specifically written for the film. “This song is meant to be an inspirational anthem for anyone who has accomplished what they’ve set out to achieve- big or small,” says Jingle Punks’ CCO, Jingle Jared, who co-wrote and produced the song with Trinidad James and Maejor.
While Trinidad James and Jingle Jared seem like an unlikely combination, they share a mutual friend that made this collaboration possible. “To truly describe Propane in one word would be a ‘connector,” says Trinidad followed by a long pause.
From left to right; Trinidad James, Jingle Jared, Propane
So who is Propane?
In his own words, Propane is a “prolific dot connector.” He has been in Atlanta since 2009 and has helped shape the careers of many of today’s artists. “I was Future’s first manager and took him to his deal with Epic. I booked his shows, DJ’ed for him, did the promotion and shot the videos. I was the label for him.” In addition to helping kick-start Future’s career, Propane helped other Atlanta artists get back on track. “When Gucci came out of jail he didn’t know the power of his pen, but we fixed that.” He’s has also worked with Young Thug, Young Jeezy, Lil Uzi Vert, 808 Mafia and played a role in discovering Metro Boomin.
“This project was a testament to how good of a story-teller Trinidad is- the whole song makes sense. Without even seeing the movie, he fit the narrative,” says Jared who hopes “Graduated” sparks a craze with their, “Pat Yourself on the Back” challenge. “We’re calling on people across the internet to be nice to themselves and literally feel good about their hard work,” Jared added.
“Right now I am in the prime of my writing. My mind, my energy, my focus. Everything that I do with music is top tier. I’m just in a great space mentally and physically,” says Trinidad James. “This song allowed me to tap into expressing a story. To be able to do that on this record and to make it work matters the most. These aren’t lost art forms. You just have to do it with the right people and in the right situations,” he continued.
People experience setbacks-it is a part of life. Barriers occur on our journey to reach our goals. “Graduated” reminds us that no matter how difficult or how many road blocks you face, doing your best to work through the struggles is how you will eventually reach your goals. “We’re hoping that a simple song with a simple message can be a quick and easy break…and do what popular music is supposed to do: make you feel good and dance,” Jared explains.
Watch the behind the scenes and the making of “Graduated” below: