With his roots in Africa, this ATL transplant from the Motherland has managed to land a record deal with Konvict Muzik CEO Akon and participate in an international tour in Africa and Canada. 2C is breaking boundaries not only with his formula for success, but also his new budding genre of music; Afro Beat. 2C gets an opportunity to chop it up with TheSource.com about his new single “Mr. Mechanic, his Africa tour as well as his impact in the Afro Beat movement.
TheSource.com: 2C. What’s the deal brother?
2C: I’m cool brother. How you doing?
TheSource.com: Everything is wonderful man. Everything is wonderful. Just checking out your music. You know I’m feeling it, the “Mechanic” joint.
How would you classify your music?
2C: Right now, the new wave coming from Africa is that AfroBeat sound. You know for me, growing up in Georgia, I take my rapping, my swag rapping and add it to the AfroBeat with a little techno twist to it, then it’s like a hip hop, techno, AfroBeat type of sound. It’s something new that I’m bringing to the table.
TheSource.com: Why do you feel like you style is different being that you’re from the continent?
2C: My style is different. My album I’m working now it’s called “Bridgin’ Da Gap.” When I speak on bridging the gap, I’m trying to connect the two worlds. The USA and Africa. My people have been doing Afro beat for a while now; shout to Nigeria, they been trying to cross it over here to the United States for a while and they are still pushing. Growing up here, all I know is how to speak English. I don’t know how to dialect. The difference mine is in all english and majority of people can understand it. But the Nigerians, they mix it up. They have an accent and they also mix it up with dialect which is a beautiful thing but it’s hard to understand but it’s very groovy. That’s the difference, mine’s being all english.
TheSource.com: Give me the specifics of how you landed that situation with Akon and Konvict.
2C: Long story my brother, long story. I’ve been chasing Kon out for so long. Along the way were few road blocks here and there but I didn’t give up. You know the basic things going through your struggles. This Mr. Mechanic song, I had it for 3 years. When we wrote the song in the back of my mind I already knew who I wanted on it. If you listen to the hook especially the “ohhhhs”, that’s what he sounds like. So in the back of my mind, I knew Akon was going to be on the song. So, in the back of my mind, I knew Akon was going to be in this song. I didn’t know how it was going to happen, but I just spoke it into existence. I’ve been chasing Kon for so long and I came into my manager now, Rozie. When then came across Rozie and offered her the situation. Everything was just the right timing man. From me running around doing the extra shows, running into him. We never really got to sit down and talk But I said, the day that I get to sit with Kon and he hears what I’m working with I know he… Everyone was telling me, I think he would mess with you. When I went through Rozie and she sent him the song, he was on tour at the time, but I told her I wanted him to do it in the studio while he’s here. I just wanted to have that moment with him where he could listen to whatever I had. So when she made that happen, I went to the studio and exactly like I said, after we did the song he loved it, he didn’t change, not one word. He left everything like it was and he’s so humble. From there he listened to whatever else I had and he was willing to make a situation happen. So that’s how we are here now.
TheSource.com: Indeed. What is it like now when you go back to your country, your hometown and you have your contract?
2C: Liberia is totally different now. I always represented my country. Like when 106 & Park was popping. I took myself up there with the flag. The whole Kon situation and the label being behind me changes a lot. I just put up the biggest billboard from an artist in Liberia. The response has been massive. They are already waiting for me to get down there. They told me they couldn’t wait till I touch down there.
TheSource.com: I see that you landed a partnership with the Africa Channel. How did you get that?
2C: The Africa Channel. The have been showing me love for the longest. When I first started doing music I had a song called Liberian girl and I dedicated it to the President at the time, because she was the first female president in Africa and president o Liberia. I never knew of them, I knew they showed me love. So, when I decided to put this album together last year, my first single off the album was called, “Make It.” I had to do some research and I came across this guy named David and David is one of the guys from The Africa Channel. We connected well and he told me he was going to try to premiere it on The Africa Channel. From there, the relationship was built. He’s a humble guy.
TheSource.com: I see you have a tour mapped out for Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.
2C: We’re starting with a Promo Tour. The last country will be Senegal. It’s a big show that’s put together over there. It’s only right that this tour starts in my country. It’s all about Liberia. I got to let the world know that. We are going to go to Liberia first, from there, Ghana, and do some promo television, radio, and then go to Nigeria. That’s where I always wanted to go. My label mate, Samklef will meet us there. That’s where the AfroBeat is right now. The capital. We have to go there. Then Senegal. That show is going to be massive, 2, 300,000 people.
TheSource.com: When can we expect the Bridging The Gap Album?
2C: We are looking at end of year.
TheSource.com: Give us your social media. Where you can be seen and/or reached.
2C: My social media is @iam2c and my website www.its2c.com. I’m also on the Konvict Kulture website. You can also visit my new Vevo page on YouTube. 2CVevo.