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Meet the X Factor Finalists: Astro
You'd best not be lookin' at his mom, okay?
Time for a new feature here on Reality TV Idols: we’re going to spend some time looking at the X Factor finalists this year in detail. Idols will be giving you all the juicy details on the finalists so that you can get to know them better and find out a little bit about what they’ve done prior to appearing on the show.
Let’s start with the amazing Astro – short for The Astronomical Kid. Or, if you’re his mother, you probably use his real name, Brian Bradley.
Why we love Astro: Astro’s one of those contestants that we rave about each week. From the moment he stormed the auditions stage with Stop Looking At My Mom to his incredible rewrite of Eminem’s Lose Yourself, Astro has the whole package: he’s funny, he’s entertaining, there’s no denying his talent for rapping and he owns the stage when he performs.
Tell us a bit about him: Did we mention he’s only 15 years old? Yep, Astro was born Brian Bradley on 27th September 1996, so you’ll have to wait until next summer to send him a birthday card!
Like his idol Jay-Z, Astro was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. If you’ve heard Stop Looking At My Mom, you’ll know this kid is fiercely protective of his mother. He was raised by his mother Cascia Thompson and step-father in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn and is estranged from his father. In fact, Astro spoke about his distant relationship with his father, who he has labelled a “jerk” and a “loser”. He told the New York Post:
He wasn’t going to let me compete in this competition. He is just a jerk. Basically, he is not a father to me.
Astro's gonna make you jump jump!
Brian went on to say:
He wasn’t there to take care of me or anything like that. I don’t really care about him. I am in a positive moment right now. Every thought I am thinking is positive.
My mom is basically the one who got me here. Even when I sucked, when I was like 8 years old writing scribble scrabble, she’d take her hard-earned money and pay for studio sessions for me. And teach me how to perform in my living room.
Ouch, Dad. You’re not his favourite person, are you? Though we’d say there might be two sides to that particular story…
Fascinating fact: Astro tweeted us to say that his mom doesn’t call him Brian or Astro! Which has us feverishly wondering what name she uses! No reply from Astro on Twitter just yet! Stay tuned…
Who are his rap influences? On his Facebook page, Astro waxes lyrical about his love for old school rap like KRS1 and Run DMC, but he very obviously looks up to the swaggering modern-day godfathers of rap: Kanye West and his Brooklyn neighbour, Jay-Z. He told the official X Factor website:
Jay-Z… is one of the artists that has kept to be in the game forever and he’s from Brooklyn where I’m from; Kanye West because he’s super fresh and he’s an artist. Not many albums in today’s generation have a sample budget. He samples some of the greatest records. He’s a genius. He’s a complete artist. Lupe Fiasco because you can learn things from Lupe about the universe and the world in general. Lupe’s just a genius.
Astro says he’s been writing and performing all his life, but he says he’s been doing it professionally since the age of 10. And as with most things in his life, he credits his mother’s support and dedication for getting him to where he is today!
Stop looking at his Mom! Here’s the original video for Brian’s very original song:
On the fact that he’s a rapper in a ‘singing’ competition: We think anyone who moans that Brian is a rapper in a singing contest is just being pedantic. There’s a reason the show’s called The X Factor: it’s about finding stellar performing talent. Rapping – especially in today’s charts – is as relevant as singing. Perhaps even more so. And if you’ve witnessed any of Astro’s X Factor performances, you’ll know that he’s more than capable of entertaining an arena full of fans or selling an iTunes shopping cart full of tunes!
How To Follow Astro: He’s got a pre-existing official website at theastronomicalkid.com where you can watch. He’s also tweeting at @AstronomicalKid and you can ‘like’ him on Facebook here.
And finally…we found this brilliant rewrite of Kanye West’s All Of The Lights that Astro uploaded to YouTube back in May. Honestly…this kid’s going to be massive. Are you an Astro-naut? Then drop us a line in the comments and let us know what you love about him!
by Gerard McGarry
Gerard is a reality TV fan and regularly obsessed by X Factor and American Idol! Follow him on Twitter @gerrybot or Google+
I love this kid and you are right whether he wins X Factor or loses this kid will be major. So much talent at that age…it’s crazy.
this kid seriously has me hooked.. i tune in xfactor each week just to watch him kill it. his lyrics are unbelievably sick and im rooting for him so hip hop really does change.. and its crazy its gonna take a 14 year old to do it.. were witnessing history and the future go down in this season, never seen nothing like it.. hopefully it will inspire other rappers to join xfactor so they wipe soljia boy lil wayne and young money out of the game. kids dont even know what rap is no more except drugs and sex and i stopped listening to the radio.. hes like a young lupe fiasco and i cant wait to see him in 5 years so my son grows up on some good music not the trash they have out now.
Astro is an ass . He should have his sorry ass kicked off the show after his bad attitude antics tonight. What a loser.
Just another pain in the rear that thinks he’s all that! Bad attitude and doesn’t deserve to be on the show anymore!
I also think Astro is the next big star. However, the very childish behavior he displayed last night was truly sad. Maybe he is not mature enough just yet to become such a big star. Maybe he needs to go back home and grow up a bit before entering such a big bad world.
I truly believe he just didn’t understand how the whole thing works. I mean, hasn’t he ever watched American Idol? Time and time again it has been shown that the general public see the “best” on the show as being “safe” so they either don’t vote at all, or vote to save someone else. I would venture to guess that is exactly what happened with Astro, everyone just though he was “automatic” … safe … so his childish display was a really black mark on him. At least in my opinion.
I am hoping that next week he will sincerely apologize for his attitude, otherwise I will have to start hoping he does NOT win!
Pulling for you Astro, do the right thing next week and show us all a humble, sincere apology!!
Astro does not deserve the opportunity to be in the X factor. He is a brat and an arrogant person. He deserved to be sent to home to perform in his living room where I’m sure everyone is over joyed to indulge his ego. All he does is to talk really fast and call it rapping, however preferential treatment for him seems to be the norm at the X Factor.
yeah… i think so too… he is such a brat. a total disgrace to the competition. and what other song genre can he do???
The Astro kid needs a reality check and needs to get his head out of the clouds. There are to many artist out there that know the meaning of respect. Remember he refused dance rehearsal because he is so high on himself. Give him the boot and give the money to somebody that deserves it that has heart/respect and also humble. He could be the best singer in the world and I would not cross the road to see the looser.
Astronomical Kid! Duh! That’s exactly what her is a KID! Kids make mistakes! Astro is truly talented he will hopefully look back on this whole thing and learn a valuable lesson! YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE!
I really suggest his mom get him counseling before its too late! I have a sister with similiar toxic unforgiveness and lack of self control! she should have had counseling as a kid. now she is a very troubled adult! This stuff does not go away! GET THIS KID HELP! For his dad not being there, for and insecurities anger! He needs JESUS in a greater way!
Watch the movie “COURAGEOUS!” It is awesome! For as talented as he is it was hard for me to feel sorry for a kid with such an attitude! Does he have problems at school with authority and classmates! His attitude didn’t just start on that stage! That kinda stuff runs deep! STOP HIM GET HIM HELP BEFORE ANOTHER KAYNE IS BORN! That guy says anything! Well ASTRO I still love ya man! And you got my vote but I had to tell the truth! Lose the attitude DUDE!
Love Ya
LaLa
Everyone forgive ASTRO please! He is just a kid! We were once too!Nobody is perfect!He has so much living to do! So let’s all imbrace him! With the spirit of forgiveness!
Love you Astro
Love Ya,
LaLa
I do not understand why everyone is saying that Astro is arrogant. Listen to him when he is up in front of the judges, he says sir and thank you. Its true that he behaved badly two weeks ago during the elimination sing off, but just remember, the judges were telling him for weeks that he was the best. He believed them, and suddenly he didn’t comprehend what was going on. He is just 14, didn’t you see his tears? How emotionally mature were any of us at his age? He is a boy and isn’t going to be bawling like Drew. I don’t really like rap, but I see his talent and stage presence. He has said that the confidence you might call arrogance is part of the stage act, and his lyrics are clean and respectful of women. I am 55, white, and I am grateful to Astro for letting me see beyond my stereotype of rap and hip hop and making me a less judgmental person.
he is a good rapper for his age, no one asked for your negative comments.