2 Pistols

After 2 Pistols' football aspirations didn't pan out, the Tarpon Springs, Fla., native chanced upon rap when a song he recorded and pressed up a few copies of happened to generate some excitement in the local clubs. Motivated to try a career in music, he began building connections by promoting parties and bringing artists like Plies, Rick Ross and Lil Boosie in as performers. Eventually he began to work with Grammy-winning producers the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross), who produced his T-Pain-featuring hit single, "She's Got It." The song's success brought him a record deal, and he subsequently released his debut, Death Before Dishonor.