Last week I had the pleasure of attending X-Factors’ 2011 runner up Astro [The Astronomical Kid] listening party for his newly dropped mixtape “Dead Beats & Lazy Lyrics. As many of you may recall Astro gained huge popularity after his debut on the Fox 5 hit show. Coming in the competition as a rapper was the first for X-Factor but Astro was defiant and with the help of his mentor L.A. Reid, he proved week after week that he was not only a competitive threat but he also had the talent of both hip hop and pop music [which he showcased on live television].
Astro’s young age [then 14] and fearless talent to command the stage and engage audience of thousands was remarkable to the judges and fans and industry alike took notice of him quickly and wanted to draft him immediately. But towards the end of the competition Astro’s likeable popularity took a slight back slide when he threw a public fit for being voted in the bottom two, then performing a “half ass” solo act to save his position in the competition. Astro did remain in the competition and learned a valuable lesson from his behavior and nabbed the top three spot in the finale competition but he lost the competition to Melanie Amaro. Following X-Factor, Astro landed a record deal [via his mentor L.A Reid] and many people assume that new music was sure to follow in 2012 but Astro had a lot of growing up to do and wanted to develop himself as an artist and a person like many of his rap predecessors.
In an exclusive interview with ThatPLUM, Astro talks about his decision [as a signed artist] to undergo the mixtape route first, as he makes his industry debut. He also talks about what he’s learned most of himself post X-Factor, and the new direction he’s taking as an artist and a more mature individual. Take a peak at a few excerpts and watch the full interview below.
On His Mixtape:
” My mixtape “Dead Beats And Lazy Lyrics” drops Monday night [Feb 18th]. I’s just hiphop… and its kinda reintroducing myself to my audience as a more mature, hip hop kid which I intended to be in the beginning. I think with X-Factor I was kinda confused as an artist cause it was like- am I Pop, Hip Hop, or Hip- Pop but now its established. I’m straight hiphop. That’s it I’m gritty, raw and digestable.”
On Why He Chose To Drop A Mixtape Rather Than LP:
” I’m not known like that yet to where when I release an album everyone is going to buy it. I want to make sure that when I decide to release an album, people know who I am and know and its establish that Astro is Astro and they’re actually go buy the album when the time comes…And I’m still discovering who I am as an artist and I got do that through mixtapes until I get to that point and then I’ll do an album. “
On Choosing To Go Solo On His Mixtape Rather Than Collaborate With Other Artists:
” I felt like if I was going to come back with a big BANG I want to be fully responsible for that and not have anyone else to say – oh he helped him…. But its alot of good production on the mixtape album like Brandon The Shade, Nineth Wonder, Myself, The Homie Leron and alot more.”
” If your one of those people that only listen to the songs I did on X-Factor – your going to HATE this mixtape. Because its far from that . It’s me coming back in a new form. To be on X-Factor I need to adjust myself [and who I was] to move on in the competition but now its me getting back to my roots so I was like – scratch all of that – I’m doing it my way.”
Astro also talks to us on the status of his new album, and artists that he admired coming up in the game and would one day love to collaborate with. Check out the full interview below:
Astro’s new mixtape “Dead Beatz & Lazy Lyrics” does not disappoint and its Certified Plum. Its free and available [via download] NOW on datpiff.com. For the undecided – listen to here it below.
Bonus: Astro’s “He Fell Off“: