24: Introduce yourself to everyone that doesn’t already know who you are.
The Twentys: We are The Twentys, made up of T Lights & Gabi, and we rep Young Elevated.
24: Before we get into your music, can you describe your history about how you got into and what inspired you?
The Twentys: Well, we were actually really into soccer growing up and played seriously throughout high school. We wanted to go pro but at the end of our senior year we made a song on garageband for fun and people loved it, so we kind of just started making music on occasion until it became bigger than anything in our life.
24: What was the Hip-Hop scene like for you growing up where you’re from?
The Twentys: We grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, which really didn’t have a Hip-Hop scene, but it actually helped us because we developed our own style and we weren’t limited to one genre.
24: What makes you Unique as a artist and different from other rappers out now?
The Twentys: I think the fact that we love all genres of music and outside of hip-hop we also write acoustic guitar and piano songs, and the fact that we can both rap and sing definitely set us apart. We also never limit our beat selection or content, like we’ll do some trap shit, then a pop song, then some really chill lyrical shit. It’s really just freedom to do what we want and connect with people on different levels…that’s important.
24: Tell us about what you are working on.
The Twentys: Well, we just got off our “Stay Close” tour in which we opened up for CyHi The Prynce, Rockie Fresh, Spaceghost Purrp, and did a few of our own shows. We also just launched our official website thetwentysonly.com with a brand new music video for our track “O.L.I.T.B.” (Only Love In This Bitch). Other than that our second mixtape (name unreleased) drops this winter and we’re also working on this tight project with the YE homie Es Babbii. It’s basically a whole tape based around college life but there’s all kinds of good vibes and bangers on there, so be on the lookout for that sometime next year. We gave you a sneak preview with those tracks “Trapoween” and “Misbehave.”
24: What producers have you worked with and who would you like to work with in the future?
The Twentys: Some dudes we’ve made some big songs with are Schife, RayWonder, RnbStarz, and NiceGuyBeats to name a few, and there’s definitely a lot of underground producers we fuck with because their style is different and fresh, which is how we want to come into the industry. As far as bigger producers… ID labs, “40”, Hit Boy, Chuck English, and Diplo. It’s hard to choose, there’s a lot of talented producers out there right now, but those are a few dudes we’d love to work with.
24: Are you happy with the feedback you have been getting from people on material you have released?
The Twentys: Yeah, we feel blessed that most of the people we’ve come across fuck with our movement. We’re often told shit like, “you guys are literally all I listen to now” or “this is really different but it’s actually sick.” The thing is we really don’t try to be anything we’re not, we just have fun and make music that we like, and people usually show love. Everyone has their haters but we don’t really pay attention.
24: In today’s free download age, what do you need to do to make yourself a household name?
The Twentys: For one, we have to keep putting out free music. So many mixtapes are better than albums these days and it’s because the artist has more freedom without a label telling them what they can and can’t release. Interaction with fans and keeping our social networks active is also a huge thing we believe in.
24: How do you feel about the current state of the Hip-Hop scene?
The Twentys: We think it’s strong, there’s so many different styles and a lot of teams that really put in work. We’re fans of a lot of the current rappers and artists in the game.
24: Outside of the music, what else are you currently working on?
The Twentys: We’ve just been working on building our team, Young Elevated, and making it as strong as possible. We’ve got a lot of specific talent and everybody plays a huge part in helping us move forward. We’re also working on some cool events with our sponsors, and there’s also been a few smaller movie scripts we’ve been looking at but nothing’s cemented. But anything’s possible…
24: Where do you see yourself going in 2012 and how do you plan to separate yourself from the other artist out today to get the recognition you feel you deserve?
The Twentys: Well, 2013 is really the year we want to take off. This last year had so much transition in it and a lot of personal highs and lows but it’s ending on a positive note. We’re just gonna stay original and do what we want, and those who ride will and those who don’t…it’s still cool.
24: How can fans go about contacting you?
The Twentys: You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or you can hit us up with some Fan mail on the “contact” page of our website. And make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletter on thetwentysonly.com…We really do read messages from fans and they don’t realize how much it means to us, so we encourage hitting us up and letting us know what’s on your mind.
24: Thank you for providing 24HourHipHop.com with this exclusive interview, do you have any last words for your present and future fans?
The Twentys: Just keep showing love, we appreciate those who are giving us a chance. Don’t be afraid to rep YE. Live Young and Elevated and stay on a positive vibe. We look forward to putting on a sick show for you guys in whatever city you live in.
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