Most groups form because two people happen to live in the same place. 2PLBY$ formed because two people refused to let distance be the end of the story. The hip-hop duo's two artists first crossed paths as kids in Germany, both born into military families — the kind of childhood where friendships are real but rarely permanent, because somebody is always getting stationed somewhere new.
Years later, fate did them a favor. The two reunited in Texas, picked the friendship back up, and turned it into a group. That shared history is the foundation everything else is built on — you can't fake the chemistry of two people who have known each other since before the music.
Raw, Authentic, Unfiltered
2PLBY$ make hip-hop that leans into real life — passion, honesty, and the unfiltered truths most people keep to themselves. Two voices, two perspectives, one sound: they trade off and build on each other the way only a duo with genuine history can, and they are still early in a catalog they are actively growing.
Why Rhythm & Rise Live
Rhythm & Rise Live was built for artists like 2PLBY$ — independent, hungry, and building something real from the ground up. The 12-hour live event puts 36 of Austin's R&B and Hip-Hop artists on one unified stage and streams it free to the world from a private production studio in Austin. No paywall. No ticket. Just the music and the people who show up for it.
For a duo turning a lifelong bond into a career, it is a chance to put that chemistry in front of a brand-new audience. The mission of the event is the same as the mission of the music — elevate independent voices, honor the craft, build something that lasts.
The Quick Read
Listen
The full lineup is being announced over the coming weeks. Subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to know when the rest of the artists drop — and to vote on the Up & Coming slots before the public reveal.
Watch 2PLBY$ Live
Saturday, June 27, 2026 / 2:00 PM – 2:00 AM CST / Free Globally
Where to Watch See the Lineup