2 Pistols AKA Jimmy Jump
"I had to take a hard look at the choices I was making.
From that moment on, I've never looked back."
It's nothing short of a miracle that Jeremy Lemont Saunders, aka 2
Pistols, is here to tell his story. With a history of incarceration
and brutal violence in his family that predates his own life, his is a
story of a survivor.
Pistols is an '80s baby who managed to keep his eyes on the prize
after many obstacles seemed to block his path. While his parents spent
most of his childhood in jail, Jeremy shuttled between his aunts and
older brothers, eventually opting for the street life by the time he
was a teenager.
The transformation from Jeremy Saunders to 2 Pistols has been several
years in the making. And his story, which illustrates the lives of so
many young men like him, is both a cautionary tale and a motivational
one. With the release of his debut album, Titled”Death before Dishonor”, he is one step
closer to establishing himself as a street artist with passion,
dedication and talent.
"Music has always been a part of my life," says 2 Pistols. "For as
long as I can remember. But I never thought about making a career out
of it. For a long time, it was all about football."
The former running back had an illustrious career, rushing for 1,700
yards at Tarpon Springs High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida, just
outside of Tampa. There was a dream of playing professional football.
"Yeah, but I was only 5'7" and 145," he says with a sigh. "I knew that
wasn't gonna happen!"
Fate stepped in and guided him down a different path. He sat in the
back of his classes in high school, often jotting down lyrics without
really thinking about it.
"Around my way, we sometimes call certain kinds of girls, 'Dirty
Foot'. It's just a silly thing, a girl who is trying to get your money
and don't have nothing of her own is a Dirty Foot. I was just messing
around and wrote a song about it."
2 Pistols' brother encouraged him to record the song, even if only for
fun. "I recorded the song and I pressed up a few copies and gave it
away. But it wasn't a big deal."
And then, several weeks later, he went to a local teen nightclub and
heard the DJ playing the song.
"I was kind of shocked," 2 Pistols explains. "The people in the club
actually knew the words to my song. That's a crazy feeling—to put out
a song you think no one will hear and then people are singing along to
it in the club."
That night, a local rapper took the stage to perform his own single at
the club and 2 Pistols stood by, watching and observing. "The guy was
just not that good," he explains. "And he could tell by my face that I
thought he was whack. So he looks down at me in the crowd and asks me
if I think I could do better. I said hell yeah, I could."
In a scene worthy of the big screen, 2 Pistols took the stage, grabbed
the mic, cued the DJ to play "Dirty Foot" and ripped his very first
show. No rehearsal, no preparation.
"It was crazy!" says 2 Pistols. "But it was at that point that I
thought music might be my hustle."
2 Pistols will be the first to admit that music wasn't his first
hustle. He's unapologetically open about his past in the drug game.
"I did what I had to do to make money," he says. "And I've paid the
price for that too."
While in jail several years ago, he had an epiphany.
"I'm sitting in jail for trying to get money and I'm thinking about
how I could have used that money to press up my own CDs," he explains.
"I knew when I got out; I was going to take matters into my own
hands."
True to his word, when he was released, he took every dollar he could
round up and invested in himself. He started by promoting parties and
concerts in the Tampa area. The goal was triple-fold. He could make
money by having top acts come to Tampa. Then he would perform as the
opening act for the shows, ensuring that he could build his own buzz.
And he would be able to cultivate relationships with artists that
would help him as well. With this plan, 2 Pistols brought acts like
Plies, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Lil Boosie and the Shop Boyz to the Tampa
area for shows.
At the same time, he began establishing his own crew, a clique called
Blood Money Union, a loose conglomerate of DJs, producers, lyricists
and vocalists.
"I have to be honest," 2 Pistols says, "No one is messing with my crew
right now—no one. And people are finally beginning to recognize what
we've got going on."
Everything about him is unique from his name to his flow. The name 2
Pistols is a nod to his twin-like personality. "As a Gemini, people
would always say I had two different sides to me," he explains. "But
because I was living that street life, instead of calling me something
like Two Face, my nickname became 2 Pistols."
And he's also taken on an additional persona, Jimmy Jump, a nod to a
character in one of his favorite movies. "Larry Fishburne played a guy
named Jimmy Jump in The King of New York and I used to watch that
movie constantly, so that's also part of who I am."
His multifaceted personality extends from his nicknames to his musical
influences. "I was always one of the only cats down here in the south,
driving around listening to Beanie Sigel and Jay-Z," he says with a
laugh. "Some of the stuff I listened to down here didn't have a lot of
depth. And good music is good music—no matter where it comes from."
With stellar production by the Grammy Award-winning J.U.S.T.I.C.E.
League, 2 Pistols brings raw emotion and feelings to his work,
particularly on "She Got It," an undeniably radio-friendly track
featuring the ultra-hot T-Pain.
With T. Pain's distinct sound layered under the bass-heavy dramatic
track and 2 Pistol's aggressive delivery, "She Got It" is a
no-brainer. The slick and polished production makes it both
commercially viable and club-worthy while the content and the lyrics
work for all fans of street life narratives.
What may be very surprising about 2 Pistols is that his subject matter
is not just limited to the raw and illegal elements of street life.
He's wholly unafraid to express how he feels about relationships as
well.
"When I first started writing lyrics, it was because I had things I
wanted to say that I wouldn't necessarily talk to my boys about. So
rhyming became a way of expressing myself," he says.
That sentiment is evident on songs like "You Know Me," which finds 2
Pistols explaining to the women in his life that there are some things
he just can't change about himself. And that if she wants to be with
him—she'll have to deal with it.
"It's something that a lot of people can relate to," he explains. "I
know a lot of men who have to have that conversation with women. And I
know a lot of women who just don't want to hear it."
One of the highlights of the album is a standout track titled,
"Blinded." With an intriguing sample from the movie “Blow,” 2 Pistols
spits verses on the hazards of navigating the entertainment industry
while trying to maintain his everyday life.
"I know people who get some shine in this game and lose sight of who
they are. That's not me. I haven't changed just because I have a
record deal—people around me are actually the ones changing. And on
this song I talk about how that feels."
2 Pistols is the complete package: He's edgy without having to brag
about it. He's authentic without being over the top. He's confident
without being cocky. And in addition to being talented on the mic,
he's humble enough to learn by watching and he's never satisfied with
the status quo.
"This is just the beginning for me," says 2 Pistols. "The fact that
I'm even here means I've already accomplished so much. There's nowhere
else for me to go but up."
Rap
Download your 2 Pistols Ringtones!!!
She Got It ft. T-Pain
Fired Up ft. Blood Raw
Who I'd like to meet: Who-Ever Feelin My Gangsta
MR. SHE GOT IT / LIGHTS LOWW's Friend Space (Top 1)
Wat up jus stoppin by ta show luv. Stay on ya grind cuz deez haterz dont wanna c u shine. Keep dem blockas on deck an get dat paper cuz money move mountains but a broke mafucka cant buy a shovel.
whats up..... Just showin some love. we would love if u could show some love back n check out my page/music/sign the guestbook.. thanks ~90zbaby N demboyz
JUST PASSING THUR BLESSING YOUR SPOT WITH MY BEAUTY..HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH U. STAY BLESSED AND KEEP DOING YOUR THING..AND THANKS FOR THE ADD..I'M HAVIN A PARTY ON THE 15TH @ T-FLYS IF YOUR NOT BUSY U AND U HOMIES AND LET'S NOT FORGET YOUR GIRL STOP IN. THERES GOING TO B A FEMALE REVUE AND MALE REVUE. CHAT WITH U SOON..THE ONE & ONLY LADII GEE..
Watz Good Thatz For tha Add Just Passin By To Drop Some Love On ya Page Cannot Wait Till ya Next Album Drop And Lights Loww Is A Dope hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Tom Bassano of Run for the Innocent] "I have been running across the country to fight against child predators and aid in the recovery of the survivors I have run almost 950 miles in 16 days, now myspace has nominated me for an impact award that will give $10,000 to Child advocacy centers...if you could give me a vote and spread the word I sure would be grateful the link is at the bottom.
Ozone
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