Teenage MC will be on today’s ‘RapFix Live’ at 4 p.m. on MTV.com to discuss his new deal with Epic Records. By Rob Markman Astro Photo: Getty Images Astro might not have taken home top honors on “X Factor,” but the 15-year-old Brooklyn MC scored a huge win nonetheless. MTV News has exclusively learned that the Astronomical Kid signed a deal with “X Factor” mentor L.A. Reid over at Epic Records. The young rap phenom will appear on today’s “RapFix Live” to formally announce the deal in detail. After the teenage rapper was sent home during the show’s December 1 episode, rumors began to swirl about where he would end up. Reports that ‘Stro would sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation hit the Web early, but in an interview with MTV News, the pint-size MC quickly shot that notion down. “I have never met anyone from Roc Nation. I’d love to, but I’m not signed right now to anyone,” he said during a December 5 interview. “Nobody ever hit me up about that — just go on the Internet and it’s up there. But I’m not signed, as far as I know.” Though Hov is one of his favorite rappers, the Brooklyn whiz kid wasn’t necessarily looking to sign based off star power alone. “I just want to be in a place where I’m comfortable 100 percent. I just want to be able to release my music, do my movies, [and] everything is fair,” he told MTV News of his dream deal. “I just want to be able to have fun doing it. I don’t want music to be a job for me; I want it to be something I’m doing for fun. As long it’s not a job, then you’re straight.” It seems that Reid has provided the youngster with everything he was looking for. No word yet on when Astro will drop his debut album, but then again, at 15 years old, he has all the time in the world. What do you think of Astro’s deal with Epic Records? Tell us in the comments! Catch Astro, Naughty by Nature and Khalil Kain on “RapFix Live” today at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFiX!
Astro was eliminated from The X Factor last night and, to the young rapper’s credit, he did not throw a temper tantrum like he did in a similar situation two weeks ago . Heck, he barely even cried. That’s because, as the teenager told reporters on a conference call soon after his ousting, Astro knows this is merely his start in the business. Astro – Black or White “This is a stepping stone. This is just the beginning for my career,” Astro said. “I’m going to be doing original material every day. Releasing a song almost every week, if I can.” Adding that he loves writing his own lyrics, Astro made it clear that he has high hopes for himself. The aspiring star hopes to perform with Jay-Z and Kanye West on The X Factor finale. “I’m going to be everywhere.” Read Drew Ryniewicz’s reaction to her elimination HERE and then vote: Did the show boot the right finalists this week?
Two contestants will go home on Wednesday’s results episode. By Adam Graham Astro on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Teen rapper Astro addressed his blow-up last week and promised to not let his fans down again during Tuesday’s (November 22) performance episode of “The X Factor,” which found the competition’s top nine contestants dedicating their performances to special people in their lives. Astro, the 15-year-old Brooklyn rapper who had a near meltdown and almost refused to perform after landing in the bottom two on last week’s results episode, explained in a pre-packaged introduction he “didn’t know how to control my emotions” last week and he “could have handled it better.” He then went on to address the situation further in an original song he performed set to Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got,” in which he rapped, “Got my head in the right place and I’m back to win.” Before the judges weighed in on his song, he explained to his fans, “To Team Astro and all the Astronauts across the world, but mostly hip-hop, I’ll never let you down again.” Simon Cowell, who harshly criticized Astro for his attitude last week, took to the young MC’s apology. “The music business needs unpredictability,” Cowell said, explaining he admired Astro for speaking his mind. His mentor L.A. Reid went with the cooler-heads approach as well. “As long as you keep a good head on your shoulders and always do your very best, you’ll be fine,” he told him. Here’s how the rest of the evening’s performances shook out. The Girls Rachel Crow opened the show and dedicated Yolanda Adams’ “I Believe” to her adoptive parents. The performance sparkled, and never one to exaggerate, Abdul said Crow was proof angels exist on earth. Melanie Amaro enjoyed her biggest moment yet on the show, and following her performance of R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest” she excitedly celebrated onstage, shouting out her upbringing in the Virgin Islands. Cowell said she is needed in the competition, and Nicole Scherzinger stopped the show to give her a hug, nearly giving ultra time-conscious host Steve Jones a heart attack. And L.A. Reid showed another lapse in his musical knowledge when he criticized Drew for not singing “age appropriate” material, after the 15-year-old sang 19-year-old Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper.” That put Cowell on the offensive, and he spat back at his rival, “I’m sick to death of your pointless, stupid criticism,” going on to call it “unfounded,” “inaccurate” and “complete and utter rubbish.” In this case, we sort of have to agree with Cowell. The Boys Marcus Canty dedicated Boyz II Men’s “A Song for Mama” to his own mama, who was sitting at the foot of the stage, and earned unanimous praise from the judges. “I’ve worked with some great singers, you are as great as any great singer I’ve ever worked with,” Reid told him, while Cowell said Canty put himself back in the competition with the performance. Chris Rene, meanwhile, sang a mix of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” and his own “Young Homie,” which he sang in the early audition rounds. “You reminded everyone why we liked you,” Cowell said, echoing the sentiments of all the judges. The Over 30s Josh Krajcik closed the show singing the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” alone at his piano, surrounded by a series of spotlights that made him look like a prisoner in some sort of light jail. Abdul called the burrito maker “larger than life” and Cowell said he was “outstanding,” while Scherzinger told him, “Beyond this competition, I strongly believe your music can change the world.” LeRoy Bell took on Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” the soundtrack to way too many of those wrenching animal cruelty awareness ads, and dedicated the song to his late mother. The judges thought it was his best performance, save for Reid, who called it “heartfelt for sure, but not your very best.” The Group Lakoda Rayne, the sole remaining group in the competition, chose to sing Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” — an odd choice for a dedication, though they were celebrated by the judges. But Cowell seemed to already be acknowledging their fate when he said, “I genuinely wish two people weren’t going home tomorrow.” Yes, two acts are slated to get the ax during Wednesday’s results episode — so much for the warmth of the season! — which is also set to feature performances by Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars. What did you think of Tuesday’s “X Factor”? Did you believe Astro’s explanation for his behavior? Let us know in the comments!
‘I don’t want to perform for people who don’t want me here,’ mini-MC says after landing in the bottom two. By Adam Graham Stacy Francis on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Stacy Francis — the 42-year-old diva who once pleaded to Simon Cowell, “I don’t want to die with this music in me!” — was eliminated from “The X Factor” Thursday night (November 17). But the bigger story was 15-year-old hip-hop dynamo Astro , who found himself in the bottom two with Francis and was none too pleased with his fate. Asked to sing for his life in front of the judges, Astro nonchalantly strolled onto the stage and announced, “I really don’t wanna perform. I feel like it’s unnecessary.” He turned to his mentor, L.A. Reid: “But I’mma leave it up to you. You’re my mentor. Do you think I should perform?” Reid told Astro he had come a long way in the competition and that he should perform. Astro turned back and proceeded to give a halfhearted, visibly jaded performance of a song in which he talked about his experiences on the show. Francis, for her song, belted out “Amazing Grace.” When it came time for the judges to make their decision, Astro was scolded for his attitude by the panel, with Reid telling him, “You acted a little bit like a quitter, and it upset me.” But Cowell was the hardest on the Brooklyn MC — whom Rihanna once compared to “a mini J. Cole” — telling him, “I don’t like your attitude right now.” “Look at me, and think about your mum watching the show,” Cowell said to him. “Because you are showing disrespect to your mom. You are showing disrespect to the audience at home, and I don’t like people with this attitude.” Astro retorted, “No disrespect to you or this show, but I just feel like if you’re going to put me in the bottom two, I don’t want to perform for people who don’t want me here, you know what I’m saying? That’s it.” By this time, Astro was being showered with boos from the audience, and a tear that had welled up in his eye began to stream down his face. Cowell asked if he’d take the same attitude if put in the position again, and Astro apologized, telling him, “Honestly, man, it’s cool.” With the audience chanting, “Stacy! Stacy!” Cowell cast his deciding vote. “I really don’t want to do this,” he said, voting for Astro to stay, saying he thinks he had a better chance of winning the show and ultimately sending Francis packing with a 3-1 vote in favor of her ouster. (Nicole Scherzinger, Francis’ mentor, was the sole vote for her to remain.) Francis thanked the judges for her time on the show and took responsibility for her so-so rendition of Meat Loaf’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” the night prior, which was slammed by Cowell. “I don’t believe I did great last night. I go with that, and I have to suck up my pride and take responsibility for the performance I gave,” Francis said. “I just want to thank Simon Cowell for giving me a chance, because I’m 42 years old, and he allowed me to sing for the world week to week.” Earlier in the night, Paula Abdul — who had already seen two of her groups get kicked off the show — caught a break when she learned her sole remaining group in the competition, Lakoda Rayne, was voted through to next week. Upon hearing the news, Cowell looked as though William Hung just won a Grammy, while Abdul proudly crowed, “I told you so, I told you so!” During the commercial break following the announcement, Cowell tweeted, “How the hell did that happen?” The episode also featured a performance from Rihanna, who showcased her current Billboard chart-topping single “We Found Love.” While it was presented as live, the performance was taped following Wednesday’s episode. The top 10 contestants opened the show with a group rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” celebrating the week’s rock and roll theme . What did you think of Astro’s reaction to his near-elimination? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos ‘X Factor’ Top Twelve Performances
