A-F-R-O has only been on the scene for a few years, but this teenage rapper has already been compared to The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay Z. Multiple outlets have labelled him "the future of hip hop," and all you need to do is listen to one of his incredibly smooth, eloquent verses to see why.
A-F-R-O started rapping when he was just nine years old, after hearing Rakim's "Microphone Fiend." Rejecting the mainstream artists of his time, the young southern California MC grew up listening to KRS-One, Wu Tang Clan, and Big Daddy Kane.
“I’m not really a fan of the new stuff, I recognize that some of them are pretty dope, but to me it’s the voice first thing of all, and I don’t really hear anyone new whose voice is really dope. I’m always a fan first. When I see legends as someone I look up to and other dudes will not see them as a legend like I do, it blows my mind. With these guys, they’re like superheroes," A.F.R.O.told Uproxx in 2015.
A-F-R-O's flows are so good that some people couldn't believe they were coming from a teenager; he was even accused of being a hoax until he proved his skill live on air by rapping about random objects in the room. His mastery of multi-syllabic lyrics rivals that of some of hip hop's veteran lyricists, and many are already calling A-F-R-O the next Biggie Smalls. In 2015 he released the "Tales From The Basement" mixtape, where he rapped over classic beats by the RZA, Havoc, and Doom, and he's teamed up with producer Marco Polo to form the A-F-R-O POLO group, who recently released their first EP.
By Michael Lacerna for RAPstation.com
