Artist: Stro

Track: Methods

Producer: Astro

Album: DeadBeats & Lazy Lyrics

Astro's first feature, late October's Deadbeat, saw him venturing into autobiographical territory as he aired out his feelings of resentment toward his old man. Having gotten those painful memories off his chest, the teenage Brownsville, Brooklyn native and former X-Factor USA contestant's elected to blow off a little intellectual steam on the follow-up, a low-concept yet hard-hitting jam showcasing his many Methods of microphone murder. As before, he does double-duty on the mic and behind the boards, lacing his own stripped-down retro boardwork with bars delineating his lofty aspirations in the game: “I'm right behind the greatest / Tell Hova I've been lurkin.” Will this ambitious upstart someday be mentioned in the same sentence as Shawn Carter? Never say never. In any case, those who like what they're hearing should stay tuned for further news and tunes leading up to the yet-unscheduled release of Astro's DeadBeats & Lazy Lyrics tape.