TWO Southend lads have taken their unique brand of hip-hop and RnB from the playground to the recording studio.

Ex Belfairs School pupils, Jamie Levy and Ricci Turner, better known as A Day Or 2, have just signed a four year deal with BRM Music and Sudden Impact Records.

The ink has barely dried on the contract, which was signed earlier this week, ahead of the 20-year-old duo's first album, Two Floors Higher, being released today.

"It's just crazy - I still feel numb and gobsmacked," said Jamie. "I'm just baffled by it all," butted in Ricci, who is the technical wizard and puts all the beats together himself. "Nothing is nicked and sampled," he added.

The two lads met at school and started recording together in 2005. They were previously known as Devilish Charm & Jay L, with Jamie providing the vocals to Ricci's music.

But under their new guise, the double act are soaring to new heights.

"It's amazing," said Jamie. "We've signed a four year deal with a 50/50 split straight down the middle with the record company.

"They've got big plans for us and are even talking about flying us out to America to do some work. They are connected to the rap label Busy Boy Records, in Georgia, who work with some great producers and are involved with Timberland, who is a huge name. It's all very exciting for us."

But Jamie, who works as an underwriter, while Ricci concentrates on the programming full time, admitted they still have a lot of hard work to do to make an impression on a merciless industry, which has a habit of chewing up and spitting out young talent.

"We know we've been lucky," said Jamie. "We sent our demo out on e-mail as an MP3 file, which was picked up by the right person at the right time.

"We were one of 12 groups chosen for a deal out of 5,000 demos. If we'd have sent it in a day later we might have missed out altogether.

"We've always had faith in ourselves and knew our music was on the level. But now we can do even better with the backing of the record companies. We aim to make the most of it."

The boys have also just shot an MTV video in Southend and Farringdon, in London, to accompany their first single, I Must Admit, which is released soon.

To find out more about A Day Or 2, go to www.myspace.com/adayor2, or www.suddenimpactrecords.co.uk