Nobody saw it coming, but thatās usually the way it goes with every revolution.
In 2016, a new musical wave began to quietly build under just a nameā24hrs As songs like āTime,ā āU Know,ā āBack For Me,ā and āDeependā generated millions of Soundcloud plays in a few monthsā time, chatter erupted throughout the worlds of hip-hop and R&B. Who was behind that mysterious social media moniker? Was it an established artist trolling the system or a brand-new voice breaking through?
As for the latter question, it turned out to be a little bit of both. The man born Robert Davis and previously known as the rapper Royce Rizzy decided to flip the script, re-envisioning his sound, style, and even his nameā¦
Ā āI needed a fresh start,ā he exclaims. āI didnāt want anyone to judge me based on my past incarnation. I decided to find a different name, reinvent myself, rebirth who I am, and change everything from the content to the type of music. I wanted people to love the music before they had a chance to find out my identity or see me. There was nothing else, so they had to give it an honest ear. I put those first four songs out without telling anyone.āBefore hitting the road on a 44-date 2017 tour with Blackbear, 24HRS holed up in Hollywoodās Paramount Recording Studio to record his Night Shift EP over the course of just seven days. Powered by his seismic vocal delivery, towering falsetto, and a knack for arranging seductively dark beats, the eight-song set illustrates every facet of his dynamic presence.
āI needed a project to go on tour, so I decided to stay up every night for a week and make all of these records,ā Twenty explains. āI tried to slow down a little bit and really think about what I was doing. Itās 2017 meets early 2000s R&B.āProduced by Hit-Boy [Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem], the first single āWhat You Likeā [feat. Wiz Khalifa & Ty Dolla $ign] instantly racked up 2.4 million Soundcloud plays. Over iridescent beats, his neon croon takes hold between fiery guest spots from Ty and Wiz.
āItās the summer anthem for the world,ā he grins.
From the airy āreal R&Bā of opener āFAVORITEā to the trap-inspired boom of āADDRESS,ā Night Shift could be the perfect soundtrack to any evening worldwide from the artistās birthplace of Oakland all the way to Tokyoāthe site of his high school.
In the end, 24HRS knows exactly who he is, and thatās why he has the power to change the game.
āIām finally comfortable and confident in myself,ā he leaves off. āIāve been through a lot, and I want to show people they can be whatever they want to be in life. Iām living proof.ā
[Click here to buy "What You Like" on iTunes]
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