Jonathan Hunter aka Afta is an supremely talented emcee hailing outta Bakersfield, CA, but this man excels in just about every aspect of hip hop music. Afta is a decorated battle rapper, an insanely dope producer, and from what i gather an excellent fisherman. Alright that last one doesn’t have anything to do with hip hop, just thought it was a cool anecdote to add.
Let’s get into the mind of Afta…
BIO:
I was born and raised on the east side of Bakersfield, Ca. I grew up in a very diverse setting and have been exposed to many different cultures. I’m mixed race. My mom is white and my dad is black. I’m the middle child and I have sisters. My parents raised me on strong morals and values along with Hard work.
Afta
Battle Rap:
Afta has been featured in many prestigious battle rap circuits from KOTD, to A&B, to For Mc’s By Mc’s, just to name a few. Afta has bodied many an emcee with his insane lyricism and wordplay. Afta told LyricallyRap about his battle rap career and how he prepares for a battle:
For me battle rap was just a way of sharpening my writing tools. I have gone on to become to top battle rapper ever out of Bakersfield. I have battled some of the top battle rappers in the world and been cosigned by some of the biggest figures in the art form. I have over 30 battles and been on some of the biggest platforms in battle rap. Preparing for every battle is a different process depending on the opponent.
Afta
Check out a few of our favorite of Afta’s battles:
Still not sold on Afta? Aight peep this:
Music:
Afta is not only a legitimate contender in the battle rap game, he is also an accomplished artist having gained praise from artists and fans alike. Another of LyricallyRap’s featured artist’s Riddy K, also repping Bakersfield, had this to say:
Afta is a dope emcee! Makes dope tracks and brings bars to back it
Riddy K
Afta definitely has that west coast smooth Cali hip hop vibe to his music, with a little soul thrown in there.
My biggest influence range from 2pac and man to Nate Dogg and Boys to Men. I get compared to snoop dogg a lot even though we have very different writing styles. But I have a strong west coast influence and flavor. A lot of melodic influence in my music. 90’s and early 2000’s really shaped my style along with some oldies like Al Green and Marvin Gaye.
Afta
Now the process for crafting songs is very different than battle rapping, Afta spoke to us a bit about how he prepares for both.
When preparing for a battle I am focused on an individual and breaking them down using complex writing. With music I am more focused on the sounds, mood, and melody in order to tell a story or convey a relatable message. Complete different mind-states to be honest.
Afta
Afta’s a very humble and fan-oriented artist with a great message for all his fans. He also
I hope to gain experiences and knowledge. I have had the pleasure to travel all over the west coast from Arizona to Alaska all off of hip hop. The message I want my fans to take from my music is that we should all be trying to make the world a better place. I want them to also see it is to have fun but it is important to reflect on why we are here.
Now Afta’s Spotify monthly listeners is sitting at 221 as of this writing. This is a gross injustice to an amazingly talented lyrical artist. Let’s go LyricallyRap Fam, let’s help run those numbers up and get Afta’s dope sound out to the masses and promote Quality Hip Hop!!! Follow Afta on all these major media platforms by clicking on the links below!
Smash those links and show Afta some love!
Peace, love, and hip hop Fam!!
Lyrically Rap 