From Schoolly D to Beanie Sigel to Meek Mill, Philadelphia has a long history of producing some of rap’s most potent spitters. There’s a new one we want to tell you about, folks, and his name is 2Key.
2Key is a 19-year-old future rap star. Last year he released his first tape Time 2 Reveal The Real and now he’s working on his follow up.
One of the first songs is his strip club anthem “She Shakin,” which was produced by his manger Ameer Sudan, a real life O.G.
2Key got next (Ameer said 2Key has already sat down with labels like Roc Nation and Epic) so we were excited when we were able to sit down and kick it with 2Key and his manager Ameer.
We chopped it up about 2Key’s beginnings, the future, and that transition from making underground music to strip club anthems.
Check it out below!
GlobalGrind: How would you describe yourself to people who are new to your music?
2Key: I would describe myself as a different artist coming out of Philly with a different sound.
What makes you different?
I would say my music, the stuff that I talk about. And the way I do it: my flow, I mix old school with new school, the way I switch up and the things I talk about. Kinda like poetry with a flow.
So you feel like nobody else does “poetry with a flow?”
I wouldn’t say no one else, but no one that I know. The people in Philly…I don’t think they got what I got. And I’m only getting better.
How old are you?
I’m 19.
So what were you listening to coming up?
I listened to Jay-Z, Biggie, Tupac — a lot of people. Those were my biggest influences.
What do you like now?
I say Kendrick, J.Cole, Drake. Those new artists, the freshmen of the game, those are the people I look up to.
What’s your strongest skill as an artist?
My wordplay. The way I construct, I’ll make you think about it. You’ll probably have to listen to it a couple of times. I’m getting better with my flow, but my wordplay, that’s definitely my hottest point.
Tell me about the record “She Shakin.'”
That’s a good record. I didn’t really do club music, but I come to find out that I can do that. The way I constructed it, it was a good outcome. We played it in a couple of clubs and they liked it, so I feel like it was a good outcome.
Are you making a lot of strip club songs now?
I got a lot of strip club songs I’m making. I got about five or six and then the other stuff I’m focusing on.
Before you were making what?
Mellow, underground stuff. I’m still doing that, this is just other stuff on my resume, to give me a little more well-roundedness. Like, some people could just do strip clubs, or some people could just spit, but I could do all in one.
Explain your name, please?
My name, t-o-o-k-e, that’s how I used to spell it. I was born with that nickname because my dad had an interest in Tupac, so he nicknamed me Tooke. And that’s the name I’ve always been called as a younger kid. Then later on — 205 is where I’m from, so we put 2Key, that’s the relevance of me and my city.
Does your dad like your music?
Yeah, he has favorite songs. One of them is the strip club anthem “She Shakin.’”
So what are you doing now? Are you working on a new tape?
Yeah, definitely, it’s supposed to be called 2Each It’s Own. The thing about my mixtapes, I put the number two in them. My first mixtape was called Time 2 Reveal The Real and this mixtape is called 2 Each It’s Own.
Where are you at with that tape, is it almost done?
I’m trying to make it perfect. The thing is, it’s hard to find a studio. We’re looking for a studio that will have good quality. Because some of the quality is so-so. My last mixtape: it was good, but the engineer I went to, he upped his price and moved.
So if you’re trying to sell yourself to someone, what would you do?
I would let them hear my latest music. I would tell them this is nothing but my life, you should hear my story.
If you can play one song, what song would it be?
If I could play one, it would be one of the strip club songs. But if I could play two, it would be that and one of my best hard spitting stuff. Because nowadays the strip club is what gets you buzzin’, but that tough stuff is gonna catch the real people. The people are gonna wanna hear what you’re talkin’ about. The strip club, there’s not much room for that, but it will get you buzzin.’
FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER: @2Key15 @Boss777
