After creating a buzz for himself, T.I. announced he signed Trae Tha Truth to Grand Hustle Records on March 1, 2012. On October 9, 2012, Trae was featured on the annual BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, alongside his Grand Hustle label-mates Iggy Azalea, B.o.B, Chip and T.I. His first Grand Hustle album, then-titled "Banned", was scheduled to be released in 2014. However, prior to that he was involved in the recording process for the Grand Hustle Records compilation album. His Grand Hustle Records debut titled "Tha Truth" was released on July 24, 2015.