Ace Hood Opens Up About Newborn Twins, Album + More

Long before his single 'Hustle Hard' put him on the map, Antoine "Ace Hood" McCalister was on his grind. The 23-year-old, who was the first artist to sign to DJ Khaled's We The Best Music Group, already has two albums under his belt and is prepping the release of his third -- and arguably most personal project -- 'Blood, Sweat & Tears,' set for an August 9 release.

Growing up in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Hood aspired to be an athlete until a high school football injury sidelined his dreams and led him down a new path. He began to pursue a rap career, and at 19, linked with a local rap group to release the single 'M.O.E.' While it wasn't a commercial success, it pushed him into a tedious schedule of self-promotion all culminating with a chance meeting with Khaled, who he bumped into outside of Miami radio station 99 Jamz. Khaled later sent over a copy of his 'Iím So Hood' single to test the budding rapper's skills and the rest is pretty much history.

Now four years later, the father of two is thankful for the opportunities bestowed on him at the hands of Khaled and other hip-hop game changers like Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, who not only jumped on his 'Hustle Hard' remix but have thrown their support behind him. One would think that the pressure of potentially becoming the next big thing in hip-hop would be daunting, but Ace Hood is not only up for the challenge, he welcomes the possibility of success with open arms. Read on as the health conscious rapper details the poignant songs he created on his new LP, welcoming his twin daughters into the world and a New York City-born R&B star he'd love to share studio time with.

Your performance of 'Hustle Hard' with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled at this year's BET Awards was a big step in your career. How did it feel to be on such a huge platform?

It was big. I felt like that definitely had to be the highlight of my career. That's a day I'll never forget, especially with artists like Lil Wayne or Rick Ross, it kind of like was an introduction to what the next generation has to offer. Me stepping out there and having everybody arrive and show me a lot of love was really big.

You signed with DJ Khaled's We the Best label in 2007. How did linking with him help you in the rap game?

When I first met Khaled, he brought me through the artist development. He was always there for me, kind of carried me through, besides him being my brother, he's a great CEO. He taught me the ins and outs of the music business and how to be a better artist and what it really takes to be a better artist. I [admire] his go-getter mentality. Khaled is a person who's been told "No" so many times in his life and he's proven that he can do it. I really admire that about him; he's really driven.

Watch Ace Hood's 'Hustle Hard'