Afu-Ra

Proud affiliate of the Gang Starr foundation, New York’s perennial hip-hop crew, 27-year-old Afu-Ra has taken the world by storm with his first two albums Body of the Life Force and Life Force Radio. Having toured the world repeatedly and sold over 250,000 albums, Afu-Ra is prepared to release his third effort, State of the Arts.

Afu-Ra is not your average MC. He's an intelligent man, a father, a devout reader, and a dedicated Tae Kwon Do student. Unlike the millions of rhyme slingers with catchy, colorful monikers, his name has special significance. It was taken from The Egyptian Book of the Dead, which details the story of a man on a course of destruction who looks within himself to overcome his obstacles. Inspired by the parable, Afu Ra chose his moniker, which signifies the body of the life force, and ultimately represents the embodiment of everything that creates life.

Another major key to Afu-Ra’s success is his versatility. He has broken new ground for hip-hop through past collaborations with Ky-Mani Marley, DJ Premier, Big Daddy Kane and GZA. With his junior album, State of The Arts, Afu continues to break the mold and keep the heads nodding.

The track, "Deal Wit It" featuring Kardinal Offishall, is a nod to the Sean Paul/Mr. Vegas dancehall classic collabo, "Haffi Get Da Gal Ya", that is sure to get the clubs jumping with its infectious rocksteady beat and catchy hook instructing all the pretty gals to wine up their waists. Afu-Ra pairs up with German reggae superstar Gentleman on the powerful, socio-political "Why Cry", and pays homage to Afro Beat icon Fela Kuti with the instant classic "Poisonous Taoist". He pushes the boundaries of rock on cuts like "God of Rap" and the guitar driven "Rumble", which with its daring hook has the potential to be the sporting event hype song of the year.

Afu-Ra successfully experiments with different styles of music while maintaining his hip-hop roots. "I’m a well-rounded artist. I can do party jams or battle raps, but the key is that whatever style of music I bring - I’m always gonna drop jewels. No matter what, I must deliver some informative knowledge in my lyrics." Fans of the traditional Afu-Ra sound will also appreciate his collaborations with the ever present DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9" and the Wu Tang Clan's Masta Killa. Afu-Ra successfully combines his lyrical onslaught with elements of roots, rock and reggae, making State Of The Arts one of the essential albums of 2005.