Published: Monday - January 9, 2006
Words by William E. Ketchum III
Ashtray (Photo: Selfmade Recordings)
Astray first got into hip-hop around seven years old, when after hearing music with his cousins, he convinced his father to buy him a greatest hits rap tape that included songs from Biz Markie, Eric B. and Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, and others. That was it for Ashtray, he was hooked.
He recorded his first song at 12, but he started taking music seriously at 17. After a short stint with a local label, Astray hooked up with longtime friend and manager Nic Spaulding, who had launched his own Self Made Recordings imprint.
"One of my favorite things about rapping is rhyming," says Astray, 25. "I like to rhyme the f--- out of everything. I love all the syllables, and I love wordplay, and I like to make sh-- rhyme that a lot of people wouldn't even think of in the first place to try to make it rhyme."
Today, Astray is pegged as an up-and-coming artist, but three albums deep into his career, he's a veteran in his own right. Along with earning a statewide fanbase by landing live performances with the likes of Bone Crusher, Three 6 Mafia, and D12, he also won the Def Jam-sponsored contest "Rep Yo City" (even though he barely mentions it, since he says the label didn't keep their promises of the compilation disc of the participants). His junior outing, Who's Coming With Me, pushed a quick 6,000 copies its first week, landed at no. 67 on the Billboard charts, and has surpassed 25,000 copies sold.
Astray's bouncy tune "Ride" is on the soundtrack for "Seven Mummies," a horror film due for release under Lion's Gate, the same company that released blockbusters "Crash" and "Saw" in 2005. Astray has also wrapped up filming for a movie based on "Wrong Path," a song from his album that chronicles a wayward teen. Perhaps most importantly, though, he is fielding major label offers, with particular interest from TVT Records, the same label known for releasing records from Ying Yang Twins and Lil' Jon.
Scouting Report
The years that Astray has spent honing his craft are evident in Who's Coming With Me and all of his offerings since. He's primarily eaten from his mid-tempo flow, but songs like "Paper Chasin'" exhibit speed-rapping that rivals fellow Midwestern son Twista. Astray also packs a formidable lyrical punch, dropping deadly battle verses on tracks like "Put The Hammer Down," and showing story-telling ability on "Wrong Path" and "Sick and Tired."
With a technically sound flow, beat-riding capabilities, and solid subject matter, all that Astray needs is apt production and the right label fit. Scott Guy, general manager of Web Entertainment (popular for housing Michigan-bred King Gordy, who appeared in "8 Mile"), says, "Hip hop culture is now 'American culture' and it must evolve in order to stay relevant...Astray is one of the most relevant and unique new voices to come out of that area since, well, dare I say -- Stevie Wonder."
Contact
Myspace - Myspace.com/AstrayOnline Site - SelfmadeRecordings.com
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