Stro
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Stro | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brian Vaughn Bradley, Jr.[1] |
| Also known as | The Astronomical Kid, C.K.O, Coolest Kid Out, Astro, BK Chapo |
| Born | August 26, 1996 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, rap, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, actor |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Grade A Tribe |
| Website | www |
Brian Vaughn Bradley, Jr. (born August 26, 1996), better known by his stage name Stro or The Astronomical Kid, is an American rapper and actor. Mostly known for being a contestant on the first season of The X Factor USA in 2011. Astro took the judges with his original song shot at Simon, for looking at his mom. His mentor was L.A. Reid, the mentor for the boys. Astro was seventh place in the competition. After his appearance on The X Factor, he starred in an episode of Person of Interest. In 2014, he co-starred in the major films Earth to Echo and A Walk Among the Tombstones, and the Fox series Red Band Society.
Early life
Stro was born Brian Bradley on September 27, 1996 in Brooklyn, New York. There, he lived in a single parent household with his Jamaican mother, Cascia Thomspon, and younger sister.[2] He began rapping professionally at the age of ten when his mother promised him studio time if he began to do better in school. He soon released his first single, "Stop Looking at My Moms" and created his first mixtape "B.O.A. (Birth of Astro)." He later started composing instrumentals of his own that pertained to the hip hop music genre.<reif name="Astro's Biography Information from The X Factor USA".[3]
Some of his musical influences include Marvin Gaye, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Biggie Smalls, Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, Fu-Schnickens, Tupac Shakur, Nas, and other artists from the 80s and 90's time period. His music is also inspired by the notable film director and fellow Brooklynite Spike Lee.[4]
Music career
2011-2012: The X Factor USA and Post-X Factor
At the age of 14, Stro went to audition for the X-Factor. For his audition, he performed "Stop Looking At My Moms" and stole America's attention by becoming one of the few rappers to perform on such a show. He gained four yeses and proceeded on and into the top seven before getting eliminated.
Performances on The X Factor
Stro performed the following songs on The X Factor:
| Show | Theme | Song | Original artist | Order | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Free Choice | "Stop Looking at My Mom" | Self-written | N/A | Through to bootcamp |
| Bootcamp 1 | Group performance 1 | Advanced | |||
| Bootcamp 2 | Group performance 2 | Advanced | |||
| Bootcamp 3 | Solo performance | Not aired | N/A | Through to judges' houses | |
| Judges' houses | Free choice | Advanced | |||
| Live show 1 | Free choice | "Jump" | Kris Kross | 1 | Safe |
| Live show 2 | Free choice | "Hip Hop Hooray", "Get Ur Freak On" | Naughty by Nature/Missy Elliott | 8 | Safe |
| Live show 3 | Songs from Movies | "Lose Yourself" | Eminem | 6 | Safe |
| Live show 4 | Rock | "I'll Be Missing You" | Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans and 112 | 7 | Saved by Simon Cowell |
| Live show 5 | Giving Thanks | "Show Me What You Got" | Jay-Z | 7 | Safe |
| Live show 6 | Songs by Michael Jackson | "Black or White" | Michael Jackson | 2 | Eliminated |
After leaving The X Factor, Astro released his fourth mixtape entitled Loser. It was based around his experiences on the show. He also put out two beat tapes called "Masterminds" and "New World Art" under the alias of Basquiat. The tapes included productions from both him and his friend Laron (a.k.a. ThatLoserLaron) who went under the name of Keith for the tapes.
He was then nominated for a BET Award in the Young Stars category, asked to present an award at the 43rd Annual NAACP Image Award Show with Keke Palmer, and featured in an episode of Person of Interest.
He put out many singles. One of them was "Stop Looking at my Moms", released under the name The Astronomical Kid. The music video was released on YouTube.[5]
2013-present: Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics and Starvin' Like Marvin
For most of 2012, Stro went on a hiatus for a while. When in an interview with Sway, he mentioned that he used this time to find himself, musically.[6] He returned releasing a song called Deadbeat and another called Methods, then releasing a visual to his song He Fell Off. Those songs were all included on his mixtape Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics. He made sure to state that the tape would be nothing like what he has done before with a "gritty hip-hop sound that oozed Brooklyn." Stro released his next EP entitled, Computer Era December 2 with his lead single "Champion" following, earlier that year, he previewed non-album cut 88 on August 26. He was also featured on the fifth edition of Drank and Dank's groundbreaking mixtape series Dripped Up, a major co-sign for new rappers.[7]
Acting career
Stro made his acting debut with his role as Darren McGrady in Person of Interest. He then played Tucker "Tuck" Simms in the sci-fi adventure Earth to Echo, which was released on July 2, 2014, and TJ in A Walk Among the Tombstones, a film with Liam Neeson, released on September 19, 2014. He was Dash Hosney in a FOX series called Red Band Society which premiered on September 17, 2014.[8]
Discography
Mixtapes
- B.O.A (Birth Of Astro) (2010)
- The Chosen One (2010)
- The Chosen One Reloaded (2011)
- Loser (2011)
- Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics (2013)
- Starvin Like Marvin For A Cool J Song (2013)
EPs
- The Astronomical Kid - EP (2009)
- Computer Era (2014)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CAN | |||
| 2010 | "Stop Looking at My Moms" | — | — | The Astronomical Kid EP |
| 2014 | "Champion" | — | — | Computer Era |
Features
| Year | Title | Artist | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CAN | |||
| 2009 | "Hang On" | Sha Stumuli | — | — |
| 2012 | "Want U Back (UK Version)" | Cher Lloyd | — | — |
| 2012 | "Ghostin'" | Torion | — | — |
| 2013 | "Workaholics" | Curtiss King | — | — |
| 2013 | "Who's Next?" | Shadow The Great | — | — |
| 2014 | "Out Here Gettin' Money" | Termanology | — | — |
| 2014 | "Around the World" | Ransom | — | — |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CAN | |||
| 2010 | "Stop Looking at My Moms" | — | — | The Astronomical Kid EP |
| 2013 | "He Fell Off" | — | — | Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics |
| 2013 | "Catchin' Wreck" | — | — | Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics |
| 2013 | "Don't Test Me" | — | — | |
| 2013 | "Yes, I Know My G" | — | — | Starvin Like Marvin For A Cool J Song |
| 2014 | "88" | — | — | Computer Era |
| 2014 | "Champion" | — | — | Computer Era |
Filmography
Films
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Earth to Echo | Tucker Simms (Tuck) | |
| 2014 | A Walk Among the Tombstones | TJ |
Television
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The X Factor | Himself | Contestant, seventh place |
| 2012 | Person of Interest | Darren McGrady | 1 episode, "Wolf and Cub", aired on February 9, 2012 |
| 2012 | 43rd Annual NAACP Image Awards | Himself | Presented Award with Keke Palmer, aired on February 17, 2012 |
| 2014 | Red Band Society | Dash Hosney | Main Role, aired on FOX September 17, 2014 |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Nominated | BET Award | BET YoungStars Award |
References
- ^ http://www.trademarkia.com/the-astronomical-kid-77281675.html
- ^ http://nypost.com/2011/10/01/mom-of-brooklyn-x-factor-sensation-proud-of-son/
- ^ Johnson, Alice. "Astro's Biography Information from The X Factor USA". Thexfactorusa.com. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ Johnson, Alice. "Astro's Musical Influences From Wikipedia". Wikipedia. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ Johnson, Alice. "The Astronomical Kid - Stop Looking at my Moms Music Video". Youtube. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ Stro talks about His New Music, Early Influences and Dating on Sway in the Morning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYuHyPO5-04
- ^ http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/23225/dripped-up-5.html
- ^ Red Band Society Website. http://www.fox.com/red-band-society/