San Jose rapper, Antwon, could possibly be described as the sound of weeping willows blowing in the wind as lightning strikes the waterfalls of Fiji. Therapeutic yet aggressive by nature at the same time; contradictory but ever so pleasant to experience. This analogy becomes more accurate when you learn that Antwon was a founding member of the thrash punk band Leather. It's evident in his records that punk is in his roots and this makes things that much more interesting. Now, Antwon has been putting out records for some time now, his early stuff dating around 2005. Recently he toured with Wiki of RATKING, and the NY sludge band, Show Me The Body. He's rapped over beats crafted by Cities Aviv and Suicideyear, all while releasing tracks feautring Lil Ugly Mane and Wiki. Not too long ago he joined forces with Wiki, Lee Spielman of Trash Talk, and Detroit producer SKYWLKR, for "Squad Deep". A homemade video shot on a stoop, a chanting chorus from Lee, and aggressive verses from Antwon and Wiki; this is as street as it gets. In this track especially, Antwon's hardcore roots prevail, but in tracks like "Rain Song" featuring Lil Ugly Mane, one might shed a tear or two.
This is the beauty, how one artists views are brought over from genre to genre, and how strongly that impacts their work. There is something very unique when hearing how gracefully Antwon raps over these massive, early 80's inspired beats such as "KLF Elf", yet exposes his punk roots throughout various singles. Some tracks may focus on the explicit matter of women, but only in the sense of love. The majority of his work strays from the constant drug references and objectifying of women that is seen in nearly all music today. These records really shine the light on one artists take on punk vs. rap and help solidify music as an art form. His album Heavy Hearted In Doldrums was recently remixed by the mysterious producer Depressed Teenager, giving his music yet another genre infusion. Give his records a listen via the links below.