Exclusive: 24hrs Readies New EP, Forms Duo with Ty Dolla $ign

24hrs is ready for his biggest year yet.

The Atlanta rapper, singer, DJ, and producer has already worked with the likes of Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla $ign, and Wiz Khalifa, but there’s a lot more on the way. Together with his brother MadeinTYO, Two Four says this year is going to be “crazy” for their joint label, Private Club Records.

“We’re building it and it’s lit,” says the 26-year-old. “Over the last years, we’ve seen successful cliques turn up like A$AP Mob, Pro Era, Taylor Gang, Maybach Music Group. Private Club’s got it this year. We going crazy this year.”

So, what does 24 have planned for the rest of 2017 in order to make that happen? In an exclusive interview with Rap-Up, he shared his master plan, opening up about more collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign (as the duo 24.00), his forthcoming debut album Open Late and Night Shift EP, which drops Friday (May 19).

“What I’ve been putting out right now is light jabs showing that I’ve got it,” he explains. “But the album? Next time you talk to me it’s gonna like, ‘OK, we see you’re top 10 in the country.'”

Before he has a chance to shoot for those goals, meet 24hrs.

Growing up, what kind of music was being played in your house?

Before I knew and loved music, I remember my mom playing Mary J. Blige a lot, I remember her playing Jaheim, I remember her playing a lot of R&B. On my dad’s side, I remember my dad always playing Ice Cube, N.W.A, The Temptations, Run-DMC, LL Cool J. When I started getting into my own music, the first albums I ever owned were Bow Wow’s first album [Beware of Dog] and Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP. My aunt got me one and my uncle got me the other one. I played both of those albums back to back. The very next album I got was a Luda album. I think it was Chicken-N-Beer. It was over from then. That was when I was like, “I love music.”

“Eminem, to me, is one of the greatest rappers ever”

Mary J. Blige and N.W.A are so different. Bow Wow and Eminem are so different. How do you feel all of these styles influenced what you’ve created?

They’re all legendary. Eminem, to me, is one of the greatest rappers ever. Mary J. Blige? That’s legendary. It wasn’t only Mary. I remember my mom picking me up from school and I remember hearing Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” all the time. That was growing up. But when you’re in high school, you can make your own decisions so the music I was into in that era was 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Juvenile’s “Slow Motion.” Those are the people who influenced me. Mary and them were people I just listened to because of my mom, but after I got the Eminem and Bow Wow album, once I bought albums for myself, the genre was everything from blink-182 to Lil Wayne. I just loved music and good sounds, great content, things that made people move. It’s about giving people a feeling. If I asked you, when was the first time you heard “Bling Bling” by [B.G. featuring Hot Boys & Big Tymers], you could think about what you were doing. I feel like that’s what music does. I remember the first time I heard [50 Cent’s] “Window Shopper.” I remember thinking it was so hard at the time. I was in ninth grade, walking to school. Those are the things we love about music so in my music, I’m trying to give people that feeling.

You and your brother have had success. Is this a dream that you guys talked about growing up?

Man, TYO wasn’t talking about rapping. He was watching movies with his girlfriend while I was in the crib doing like 10 records a day. But nah, me and TYO always rapped. This is crazy. I’ve never told nobody this. Say we were in trouble or something and we was on punishment and we couldn’t leave the crib, literally, we would buy composition books, and we would listen to hip-hop, and just write over the beats that came on. We didn’t even have instrumentals. We were just writing over the beats that came on. Once we got a little more serious, we was using Kazaa and LimeWire to download other people’s beats to rhyme over. By the time I got to high school, I was putting out mixtapes. TYO wasn’t putting out mixtapes, but he was always on my stuff. It wasn’t until I left and got my first record deal that TYO was like, “I see this is possible. I’m trying to do it like that.”

“Me and MadeinTYO are going to drop [projects] forever, until we’re on billboards together, on the cover of magazines together”

Last year, you created 24hrs in Tokyo together. Will you guys continue making joint projects?

We’re going to drop every year like the new cars. Me and TYO are going to drop forever, until we’re on billboards together, on the cover of magazines together. I just seen an article that another website did and they was like, “The Top 10 Real Brothers in the Industry.” What’s crazy is like, they had to scrape it together to give it a top 10, but there’s not a top 10. There’s Chance and [Taylor Bennett], Pusha T and Malice, Master P and Silkk the Shocker. Me and TYO are the youngest real brothers that are doing it, that are still on the come up. I look at Chance like he’s really successfully made it. His brother is coming up with his music and that’s dope. Me and TYO look at them like, “That’s us.” People tell us we look alike every day. Chance and his brother look alike for real. So that’s cool, to be in it with your real family. You don’t have to worry about someone building a brand. I’ve been making music with my brother for over 15 years.

Outside of working with your bother, you’ve got great chemistry with Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign. How did that relationship begin?

Wiz is my homie and Ty is like another brother. Me and Wiz did a song for the first time in like 2013. Wiz is a good person, has a good heart, he gon’ smoke you under the table, he really loves music, and he cares about his family. Ty is like an older brother. He’s a few steps ahead of me, where I’m at in my career. He’s really flourishing right now. But he came to TYO’s first show ever in New York. He just popped in on us. Then, me and Ty started building and now, we’ve got over 100 records. He’s just a musical genius. Wiz and Ty? That’s family. I’m not signed to Taylor Gang, but that’s family. Our relationship is super tight. I just dropped a record with Juicy J too. The whole Taylor Gang is family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRDHH9rhCPg/

You mentioned having over 100 songs with Ty. What can fans expect from your joint project, 24.00 [pronounced Twenty Four Dollars]?

24.00 is on the way. We’ve got great features, great production, great everything, visuals on the way. 24.00, we started an actual thing. It’s 24.00. You’re going to see us featured on projects as 24.00, not Ty Dolla $ign and 24hrs. The Weeknd featuring 24.00 or Lloyd featuring 24.00. We’re going to be a group where, when me and Ty come together, it’s 24.00. There’s going to be 24.00 tours and the whole nine.

Why did you decide to stylize 24.00 that way?

It’s just like it would be on a receipt. $24.00.

Last year, you also worked with Gucci Mane on “Not Impressed.” What was that experience like?

Gucci is the TrapGod. Gucci did everything, from selling bricks to really slapping ni**as, to going platinum, to working with Mariah Carey. Gucci is legendary. When Gucci came home from jail, I’m one of the first people whose song he hopped on. That was crazy. When I drop that Gucci record at my shows, my fans go crazy. People couldn’t believe that I put Gucci Mane on a record. How did 24hrs get Gucci? But I appreciate Gucci for understanding the culture and working with new artists and new talent. He’s very aware of what’s going on. Look at his tour. I had the opportunity to go on his tour, but we had some other stuff going on. I turned down the opportunity, but Playboi Carti is on tour with him so he understands the culture. I wanted to go on tour with someone from another genre, on a whole new wave, so I’m going on tour with an artist named blackbear. His fanbase is crazy. But Gucci is crazy. He killed that song and we’re gonna do a video for it. That’s gonna be another legendary moment.

Another collaboration you had recently was on “Down for Me” off G-Eazy and Carnage’s Step Brothers EP. How did that come about?

Carnage DM’d me on Instagram like “Fuck with me. Send me vocals.” Carnage said, “Pull up on me.” So, I pulled up on Carnage in the hills, pulled up to G-Eazy’s crib. He played the beat and I said, “I have a hook for it.” When I looked over, G-Eazy was writing his verses already. It’s history from there. The video is a movie. Come on, it’s G-Eazy, man. That’s RCA’s token white boy, man. It’s crazy. He’s the biggest white boy out right now next to Justin Bieber, but rapping.

What can fans expect from your Night Shift EP?

It’s lit. It’s something for the fans before I go on tour. It’s dope. I like every song on there. It’s real R&B and soul. A couple turn-up records, but it’s an R&B project. Apex produced all of it. I have another producer Dwn2Earth and Mic West who did a song on there. It’s really dope. No features. All me. It’s lit. This is giving y’all one more thing before everything unravels.

What else do you have planned for 2017?

You’re going to hear me, Hit-Boy and Dom Kennedy this year. You’re gonna see a video with me and Rick Ross this year. Open Late is the album so that’s going to be crazy. You’re going to hear me and Joey Bada$$ this year…Me and Joey have one that’s super, super crazy. He’s having a good year right now. His album [All-Amerikkkan Bada$$] just came out. It’s legendary. That’s the bro so I had to do something with him.

“Open Late is like a fu**ing science project”

How are you approaching Open Late differently than Night Shift?

Open Late is like a fu**ing science project. Open Late is like a studio with all types of equipment, synthesizers, people coming in with background vocals and guitars. Ty is executive producing it and Apex is doing slaps and maybe Timbaland. We’re gonna kill. Open Late is what I’ve got to bring to the table in music right now. What I’ve been putting out right now is light jabs showing that I’ve got it. Don’t sleep on me. But the album? Next time you talk to me it’s gonna like, “OK, we see you’re top 10 in the country.” And you guys are talking about debuting the album and we’ll come back to it, but just know that I’m not asleep. I’ve very aware and woke of what’s going on, very in tune with the sounds, the culture, and what I bring to the table.

Finally, what can we expect from your label, Private Club Records?

Me and TYO are CEOs of the label. We’re building it and it’s lit. Over the last years, we’ve seen successful cliques turn up like A$AP Mob, Pro Era, Taylor Gang, Maybach Music Group. Private Club’s got it this year. We going crazy this year. Tours, everything. MadeinTYO’s album is coming soon. It’s crazy. It’s super crazy. He’s at a high momentum coming off a tour with Big Sean. We’ve got new signees: Dwn2Earth, an incredible artist; Rossii Rock from San Diego, who’s incredible; my producer Apex, we ’bout to do a deal and start putting out records from him. We got an annual show that we do in Halloween so me and TYO are headlining with all of our acts and special guests. We’re gonna shut it down in L.A. and maybe the day before in New York. We’re starting it now as a show, but one day, that shit will be a festival. Private Club Records is gang, gang, gang, gang. First lady Salma Slims, we’ve got Noah Wood$, MyNamePhin, and K Swisha, we out here.

–Andres Tardio