Troy Coleman, aka Cowboy Troy, entered the country music fan's consciousness with the multi-lingual breakdown in the middle of "Rollin' (The Ballad of Big & Rich)", the opening track to multi-platinum-selling label mates Big & Rich's 2004 release Horse of a Different Color. However, he had been on the Texas circuit long before that. During his years at the University of Texas, he started playing clubs with a blend of rap and country music that would come to be known as "hick-hop." Born Dec. 18, 1970, Coleman grew up in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area listening to country artists (Charlie Daniels, Jerry Reed, Kenny Rogers), rock artists (ZZ Top, KISS, Boston and the Eagles) and rap artists (Run DMC and LL Cool J) who subsequently influenced his style of music. A former employee of Foot Locker, Cowboy Troy signed to Warner Bros. Nashville in 2004 and released his first single, "Playing Chicken With the Train," in early 2005.