Afu-ra是一名East Coast的硬核饶舌歌手,在得到了说唱狠角Jeru The Damaja提拔之后开始饶舌。在此之前他一直是唱着别人的歌,而Jeru The Damaja告诉他应该写一些自己的东西。他在Jeru的第一张专辑《The Sun Rises In The East》里面与Jeru合作了一首歌,从此踏上了饶舌路。此后他一直与Jeru在欧洲巡演。1997年他在D&D Studio录制了他的第一首单曲《Whirlwind Thru Cities》,这首由DJ Premier操刀制作的单曲在当时非常火热并且在地下圈里面被广泛播放。 Afu-ra的意思是“Body of the life force(灵力之形)”,他说他生活中的一切受亚洲文化很深。他是太极拳的黑带并且他也在钻研道教与佛教。 Afu-ra的第一张专辑《Body of the life force》在2000年被发行,广受好评。他的词汇机智、敏感,饶舌功力也是相当不凡,这张专辑邀请到了M.O.P以及一票地下说唱高手客串,仍然由DJ Premier制作。两年之后,他的第二张专辑《Life Force Radio》登台亮相。这一次的客串阵容更加强大,包括RZA(武当帮Wu-Tang Clan掌门MC)、Big Daddy Kane、Guru等人,Afu-Ra言之有物的语意也更上一层楼。专辑一开场就是优雅古筝和悠悠笛声,紧接着慵懒爵士风的Scat Man,显见扩张音乐版图的野心,就像广播电台一样放送五花八门的曲风。Hip Hop注定成为舞池的必备国歌;火辣与性感的女声,让情歌Open、Miss You煽情难档:R&B男声Readjustment定让你一听上瘾;帮派饶舌Stick Up,因Afu-Ra流动多样的声音表情而丰富起来;RZA在勇猛快步调的Dangerous Language表现更令人大呼过瘾。超强劲的节奏独树一格,乐风轻松游走而没有界限,随着客串者不同,每首歌都有自己的个性,如DJ Premier巧妙穿插的音效,让Mic Stance混得极丰富,而Caliente美丽的吉他拨弦及异国女声,营造出专辑中最令人惊喜的轻松情调。当「观世音菩萨」的念经生前奏想起,Mortal Kombat将让你知道Afu-Ra有多爱亚洲!在阵阵琵琶轮拨中,一场融合道家智能的武斗展开了,Wu-Tang Clan(武当家)的Masta Killa也置身其中,提醒你,这仍然是美国东岸逞凶斗狠的残酷世界,而机枪扫射的声音,果然就在下一首响起了。再接再厉,2005年他又推出了最新专辑《State Of The Arts》,依旧好评不断。Afu-Ra给东岸说唱带来了一股新风,不可小视。
Biography
by John Bush
From his 1994 breakout on Jeru the Damaja's "Mental Stamina," Afu-Ra has fused classic East Coast hardcore with the sensitive, intelligent wordplay expected from a committed Rastafarian. He started out much like any other young New York rapper, though his rhymes impressed Jeru the Damaja enough to include him on his debut. Becoming a Jeru protégé (just as Jeru had come up with Gang Starr), Afu-Ra appeared on the second Jeru album (Wrath of the Math) as well, but moved out on his own for the 1998 single "Whirlwind Thru Cities," an underground favorite. Body of the Life Force, his debut album, appeared in 2000, boasting features for GZA and Cocoa Brovaz. Afu-Ra hooked back up with Gang Starr's DJ Premier (who'd helmed quite a few Jeru tracks) for 2002's Life Force Radio.