Astro aka The Astronomical Kid aka Stro has come a long way since his X Factor days. The rapper has been steadily putting out solid music for his fans and focusing on his rap skills rather than the gossip which we really appreciate.
We recently had a chance to chat with the talented emcee about his high voltage interview on Ebro In The Morning where he debated why newer artists like him deserve a chance to be played on the radio, why he thinks radio is still important to a certain extent, his upcoming projects and more. Peep the full interview below.
What up Stro. First off, thanks for taking out the time to chat with us. What are you currently busy with?
Ah, all good. I just dropped a new song called ‘Skrrr’ produced by the homie Platinum Pat so just trying to promote that where ever I can. I’m still pushing that ‘Mighty Healthy’ video too. Thanks for supporting me all these years. I’m also recording religiously these days.
Of course, you’re one of the most talented young emcees out there. Your interview with Ebro on Hot 97 made headlines for obvious reasons but we really appreciate how you kept your cool during the entire time. Do you think you gained anything from it?
Thank you. I mean, I think the only valid point he made during that interview was that I gotta do more shows but I’m definitely working on that. I got a show September 19th with Source 360 festival. I’m also doing a few things with CMJ so I’m starting to attack the shows more. That’s the only valid point he had. All the other stuff he was saying.. he was getting nervous. That’s why I never really argued with him because that’s like when you start arguing with somebody, you don’t have any more facts and you can’t beat the other with facts, you start to get mad. Oh now you wanna fight?
After he told me that Meek Mill recorded those records before he signed with Ross, I was like ‘alright man, Imma just leave it here man’. Coz I know my music facts pretty well and I could have told him but I just left it. I was at his spot so you can’t be too disrespectful and riled up either.
Radio stations are businesses as well and Ebro did have some valid points as well regarding stations not playing artists who aren’t popping yet. What are your thoughts on that?
I honestly think it’s so much deeper than what we were talking there. It’s so much politics in Rap now man. I didn’t go there to break the system, I’m not even an OG. I go there at Hot 97 pretty often, I’ve been there several times this year already and it’s all love. But I’m like, ‘yo when am I going to get the record played? When can you put my record in rotation with rest of the stuff y’all playing?’. Because a lot of it they play is garbage.
How much influence do you think radio has in today’s world of internet marketing?
Nope, not at all. I don’t think I need radio. That’s the thing. I may have sounded up there like it was radio or nothing but it’s far from that. The internet is a great platform. But my thing is like this, when I started out young, radio was still very important. Those moments when Flex premiered a record and the whole city tuned in. I can go and say ‘f*ck the radio, I don’t need you’. But I can also be like, ‘it will be great to hear my record on the radio. It will be amazing to have my record premiered on New York radio like it used to be’ and there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t think the radio should bow down to the internet. Especially someone like Hot 97. The name, the brand, they have done so much for Hip-Hop. It all started here in New York. I just don’t agree when they say ‘oh the internet has all the control now!’
Yeah. And then there’s been recent studies that say that the radio audience has actually grown over the past few years.
Exactly! You know, some of the records they play, people don’t even like them but they play it 8 million times a day that now the people love them because they don’t have a choice. I don’t know man, maybe I’m buggin out but I don’t agree with all that’s going on.
You first broke out as a participant on the X Factor. Do you think it is a hindrance in people taking you seriously as an emcee?
Nah, not really. The whole X Factor thing is so old now, no one really talks about it anymore. It was an old time and people who only know me from X Factor, I don’t expect them to take me seriously. I appreciate their support but I want the real support from people who actually go out there and look for my music. I love when people come to me and say I love what you dropped last week, that’s the kind of support I need.
You have an inclination towards incorporating classic Hip-Hop sounds in your music. Do you plan to continue like that in the future?
I won’t really call it classic sound, it’s more like the energy. A lot of stuff that I’m putting out now, it doesn’t even have a deliberate sound like that but I guess people still get that golden days of rap energy from it. I’m trying to sound futuristic right now.
Tell us something about your upcoming projects and some collaborations we can look forward to.
I doubt there will be too many collaborations on this project I’m working on but there will be collaborations in general with other artists. I’m really just recording heavy these days, whatever I get inspired by. I got a home studio so I record often. I got something like 40 records sitting in the play-list right now. I still haven’t decided on the the direction I’m gonna in.
And do you have a timeline for its release?
Probably early next year. I just want to release music right now. I released a project called Computer Era a while ago which is available on iTunes and some people are still catching up on that. I got great feedback but there are still people who haven’t gotten into it like that. Like I did an interview the other day and I read it today. They said “Astro just put out a project called ‘Computer Age’ and I’m like, what the hell is ‘Age’, it’s ‘Computer Era’. So I don’t want to drop projects back to back to back and become this artist with 10 mixtapes and no buzz.
Who are your all time favorite rappers and producers?
The Gods — Raekwon, Nas, Jay Z, Pac, Biggie, Snoop, Slick Rick, Ice Cube, a lot of the guys from the golden era. Producers, I like Pharrell, Dr. Dre, RZA and The Trackmasters.
Last question and this is something we ask everyone we interview: Prince or Michael Jackson and why?
Hmmm…tough question. I’ll probably say Michael Jackson. Reason being, I feel he put out more solid bodies of work to me. I love Prince too, I like his mystique and he’s done some dope sh*t. MJ is easier listen but Prince is a character, there can only be one Prince. I think the world loves Michael Jackson but I think only 50% of it understands why they love him. Prince is dope but it’s Michael Jackson for me at the end of the day.