There’s a level of confidence apparent when talking to Tevin Thompson and Derrin Towsend, who together, form rap duo TK N Cash. The two Augusta, Georgia natives both came into the limelight fairly early as members of Ludacris’ almost there but eventually fizzled Disturbing Tha Peace. Instead of falling off into relative obscurity, they honed their pen game through a few significant songwriting placements. Following credits with Trey Songz(“What I Be On”), Kevin Gates (“Thinking With My Dick” featuring Juicy J) and Meek Mill (“I’m So Sorry”), TK N Cash set themselves on a long road of re-establishing themselves as an pairing.
And it just might have worked.
It all began last year with a bidding war ending in them signing to Columbia Records. By the end of the year, they released bubbling single “Mind Right” from their first mixtape since the deal, No Handouts. Perfectly fitting for two twenty-somethings whose rise hasn’t been the easiest.
Taking some time to speak with DX, TK N Cash talk special relationship with 2 Chainz built from their time together at DTP, “Mind Right” and collaborations since joining the Columbia roster.
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TK N Cash Talk First Artists To Reach Out After Signing To Columbia
DX: You guys said in an interview last year that you’ve been in the industry since you guys were 15, 16-years-old. How did both of you guys meet and go from signing to Columbia to the buzz around “Mind Right?”
Cash: We were friends before deciding to do music together when we were 13, 14-years-old in Augusta. Me and him[TK] were solo artists and had separate campaigns going on. Later on, we both decided to do a song together through his father and my brother who set that up. The song became a hit in our hometown. Then we made more music together and those songs became hits as well. That’s when we decided to become a group.
TK: Being in Augusta, it’s a small town so we thought our situations could grow into something bigger if we joined together. The rest is sort-of history.
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DX: After a bidding war over you two, you choose Columbia Records? Where did the decision to sign there come from?
Cash: We chose Columbia because they decided to hear more songs than “Mind Right” and they really saw our vision. They were talking about everything that we wanted as far as our career. It was really the best decision to make in going to Columbia.
DX: Should we expect a feature with Snoop Dogg, J.Cole, T.I., Juicy J or Dej Loaf eventually?
TK: Most definitely, we’ve been working with some of those names so far. So look out for those to be released soon.
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Cash: We’ve been working most notably with Juicy J. He was the first one to reach out. We’ve been working heavily with him and he really messed with “Mind Right.” We’re talking to Tip right now so hopefully we can get some work done soon. A lot of people on the label have started to reach out.
DX: There’s also a background both have in writing for Trey Songz, Kevin Gates and Meek Mill. Has that served as practice for creating your No Handouts mixtape?
TK: Yeah, most definitely. Our passion is definitely writing music and just creating music. We get a kick out of going to the studio to create and if it helps out own work, that’s just a great feeling.
Cash: Writing for other artists we’re really just telling our own story nine times out of ten. It just so happens that into whatever is going on in their life, then that’s cool.
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TK N Cash Addresses Standing Out Within Atlanta’s New Movement
DX: Does this lead into an album eventually?
Cash: We just released No Handouts so we’re pushing that because it’s still fresh. As we work on new visuals and stuff, we’re chilling in the studio working on our next project.
DX: Atlanta seems to have become the home base for the resurgence of rap groups from Rae Sremmerd to Migos. How exactly do you guys work together in creating a track?
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Cash: We’re brothers for real and friends at the end of the day. We tell each other’s stories. I might be going through something in my life and TK may articulate it better in the music and it works the other way around. There’s a song on the No Handouts called “Trade” where we tell each other’s story. It’s a great chemistry. With “Mind Right” is was organic and we didn’t force anything. Whatever came out was whatever came out.
DX: Considering the rise in “New Atlanta,” is it difficult to stand out?
Cash: At the end of the day, when you want to stand out, you want to stand in with everyone. We just going to stand out by giving our own story as TK N Cash over songs. That’s what No Handouts is about.
TK: Whenever someone tries to be different, they end up being the same because everyone is trying to be different. I hope I’m making sense but all we can do is us. Nobody has the same story as TK N Cash and that’s fact. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.
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DX: What makes the rap duo so important to Hip Hop in oppose to individual artists?
Cash: I feel like a duo means having two lives in one. You get TK’s life through my eyes and mine through his. In Hip Hop, duos are important because you’re always getting two different perspectives on something.
DX: Do you have a top three duos of all time?
Cash: OutKast, UGK and TK N Cash.
TK N Cash Discuss Creative Involvement In Their Brand and 2 Chainz Mentorship
DX: How involved were you in the visual’s concept and art direction for “Mind Right”s video?
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TK: We were definitely involved in the creation process for the video. We didn’t want to make it a flashy video by throwing money and girls. The goal was to make something with a theme or like a movie.
Cash: To add onto that we don’t really call it a video but a mini movie. That was all a collaboration between us, our management and the director Devin Hampton. Hampton really brought our vision to light for us.
DX: Did you expect the Carolina Panthers to use your song during games a few times?
Cash: Nah, I didn’t think it was used more than once but that was crazy. That was mind blowing.
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DX: Most artists on major labels normally get someone to handle their social media. You guys handle that responsibility yourselves. Is there a line you draw in making post considering your relationship with fans?
TK: We wake up, get on Twitter and Instagram like everyone else. I think it draws the line when someone else does your social media for you because they’re getting between you and the fans. We never want to lose touch with our fans and try to be very hands on with that.
DX: You guys have a relationship with 2 Chainz from your days on Disturbing Tha Peace. How has that grown overtime?
Cash: Everybody knows our backstory and we’ve been networking in the streets for a long time. 2 Chainz is really our big brother and was the first one to coach us through the industry when we first signed to DTP. He’ll call us up to go to the club or hang out at the studio. Really, he was one of the people in the industry who told us we’d be big.
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DX: You got to see him grow from Tity Boi to the 2 Chainz he is today? Get any valuable advice and will a collaboration be on the way?
TK: It’s crazy because before we met him, we were watching the DTP camp as fans. It was dope to be taken under his wings and just general advice. What to look for, what to do and what not to do. Seeing go from Tity Boi to the world famous 2 Chainz is motivation. Watching him, I feel like it’s possible.
Cash: We’ve been working on ourselves right now and he’s been busy on his music so not yet. We want the attention to be on TK N Cash and that’s all we’re worried about right now.
