Houston rapper Lil' Troy survives 18-wheeler fire on I-10: 'I thank God'

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston hip-hop legend known for lyrics about cars and highway driving almost lost his life Monday on I-10. Lil' Troy, who now works as a truck driver, was able to pull over and get out of his big rig before flames burned through the cab near the Fry Road exit.

Lil' Troy spoke only with ABC13 about what happened.

Back in 1999, the rapper had a hit with "Wanna Be A Baller", but now he's traded his Impala for an 18-wheeler. He owns Birklett Trucking Company in Missouri City and was on his way home from Arkansas when he spotted smoke under the hood.

"I think God has a better plan for me," he said.

Lil' Troy came to that conclusion after walking away from the flames and smoke that tore through an 18-wheeler he bought for his trucking company just two months ago.

"Life after music. Doing something different. My second journey in life. Something different I can do," said Lil' Troy.

That journey almost ended Monday on I-10.

"Right before I got ready to exit, I started to see fire and flames coming up from the hood. I was like, 'Oh, I got to get out this truck.' You know what I'm saying? It's fire!"

Everything he had was destroyed, except for his glasses, his keys and his phone. He used his phone to document what happened when firefighters showed up.

"It took them a while to put the fire out. While they were there, it went 'Boom' again! So, I thank God for the fire department," Lil' Troy said. "They came and made sure nobody else got injured at the same time."

Now safe at home, Lil' Troy said the near-death experience put everything in perspective.

"I started thinking about my family and worrying about how they need me. It's not my time to go right now," he said.

Despite how close he came to the flames, Lil' Troy said he's ready to get back out on the road doing what he always said he enjoys.

"If you notice, I hit the highway making money the fly way. You know what I'm saying? Truck driving is the new way," he said.

Investigators are working to determine how the fire started. Lil' Troy is also working with his insurance company to replace the truck.