The Story: 2 Pistols
An Interview with 2 Pistols' Republic Records A&R

Describe the artist: Who is 2 Pistols? What is his musical background?

2 Pistols is an artist that is able to take the trials and tribulations of his personal life and share it with the world in the form of his music. He started off as a local rapper in Tampa, FL with his crew BMU. On the side, he would book signed acts to do local club shows. Through those interactions he was able to learn the craft of making songs that could be commercially viable. His local buzz landed him a deal with Grammy Award Winning producers the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Mary J Blige, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross). He kept doing his indie grind and got a song he cut with T-Pain on the radio at one of the most influential crossover radio stations in the country and gained notice with the major labels.

When did you first hear 2 Pistols’ music? How did it make it to your hands? Did the internet play a roll?

I first heard of 2 Pistols from my ex girl who frequently goes to a website that streams live mixtapes. At that time, I had the original version of the song, not produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and I loved it . I knew there was something to it, but I wasn’t ready to move on it. I eventually reached out to 2 Pistols once the record started generating more buzz in Tampa and flew him out to meet the label. The internet was the first place I heard the song. To see if people were reacting to the record, I went onto youtube to see if any one posted their own video. I found more than a dozen with all positive feedback.

What interested/excited you most about 2 Pistols?

I knew 2 Pistols could be something, when I heard the second song he sent me. His song structure, hooks, and presence made him stand out as an artist. Also, he was not afraid to make radio records.

When did you know that 2 Pistols could be the next big thing?

When I met him in New York, he was 10 steps ahead of most acts. He had great music, a great myspace page, and a great business mentality.

What about 2 Pistols has you passionate about working with him?

His music to me is what gets me excited. When he links up with the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, it is beautiful chemistry.

What artist would you say 2 Pistols reminds you most of?

I can’t pin point one artist, but his independent grind reminds me of Jeezy and T.I. in their EARLY stages. Those guys, along with the other successful ones, never waiting for a record label to make moves.

What track on the new album was the most difficult/fun/interesting/etc to record? Is there an interesting story related to the recording or writing of the track?

The most difficult/fun/interesting song to record was “You Know Me”. That song was actually an original demo and was supposed to be the easiest song to record. We had a feature in mind that did not work out. It ended up being one of the last songs we finished.

Who would you like to get 2 Pistols in the studio with / do you have any interesting collaborations on the new album?

I am excited about the work J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League have done with this album. I can’t predict his sound for the next album, but I like to make albums with up and coming producers who have something to prove.

Describe 2 Pistols in 10 words or less…

A true Gemini

What can the world expect from 2 Pistols?

Great music and an opportunity for the next generation of hip-hop listeners to discover a new fresh artist that can be here for a very long time.