Antwon
Antwon | |
---|---|
![]() Antwon performing in 2014 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Antonio Williams |
Born | [1] Key West, Florida, U.S. | October 25, 1986
Origin | San Jose, California, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Years active | 2011–present |
Labels | |
Website | antwon |
Antonio Williams[3] (born October 25, 1986),[1] better known by his stage name Antwon, is an American rapper based in San Jose, California.[4] In 2013, he was included on Complex's "15 Unsigned Rappers Who Should Get a Deal After SXSW" list.[5] He was also included on Complex's "25 New Rappers to Watch Out For in 2014" list.[6]
Biography
[edit]Born in Key West, Florida,[7] to an African-American father and a Filipino mother,[3] Antwon grew up in Sunnyvale, California.[8] He was a member of the Philadelphia-based hardcore band Leather,[9] as well as the pop punk bands Sour Patch and How to Summer.[10]
Antwon's first mixtape, Fantasy Beds, was released in 2011.[11] In that year, he also released My Westside Horizon.[12]
In 2012, Antwon released a mixtape, End of Earth.[13] SF Weekly included it on the "10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012" list.[14] In 2013, he released a mixtape, In Dark Denim.[15] It was listed as Spin's "Rap Release of the Week".[16]
His first official studio album, Heavy Hearted in Doldrums, was released on UNIF and Nature World in 2014.[17] In 2016, he released an EP, Double Ecstasy, on Anticon.[18] In 2017, he released a mixtape, Sunnyvale Gardens.[19] Red Bull placed it at number 20 on the "20 Best Hip-Hop Mixtapes of 2017" list.[20]
Style and influences
[edit]Spin described Antwon as "an affable guy who might have one of rap's biggest, best-sounding voices, which he usually focuses on goofy jokes and surprisingly sweet bedroom raps."[21] He has often been compared to The Notorious B.I.G.[22] [23]
Controversy
[edit]In 2016, Antwon formed Secret Circle along with Wiki and Lil Ugly Mane.[24] Since then, the group released several tracks and played live performances across North America.[25] In 2018, Lil Ugly Mane announced the breakup of the group, not initially indicating a specific reason for the breakup.[26] Antwon posted a statement on Twitter, alluding to unnamed allegations.[27] Wiki and Lil Ugly Mane subsequently indicated that the allegations mentioned in Antwon's statement, including abusive treatment of women, were the impetus for the breakup.[27]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- Heavy Hearted in Doldrums (2014)
Remix albums
[edit]- Heavy Hearted in the Function: Depressed Teenager Remixes (2014)
Compilation albums
[edit]- Collection: 2005-2007 (2011)
Mixtapes
[edit]- Fantasy Beds (2011)
- My Westside Horizon (2011)
- End of Earth (2012)
- In Dark Denim (2013)
- Heavy Hearted in Doldrums (2014)
- Sunnyvale Gardens (2017)
- Downtown Tony (2019)
- Life In Exile (2020)
- The 45 Plates EP (2020)
- BLASIAN (2021)
- A TIME 2 UNPACK, Vol.1 (2023)
- A TIME 2 UNPACK, Vol.2 (2023)
- IN LIFE ONLY PAIN IS REAL (2023)
EPs
[edit]- Cocaine and Hennessy (2012) (with Froskees)
- End of Earth Pre Tracks (2012)
- Double Ecstasy (2016)
- The 45 Plates EP (2020) (with Stoney Willis)
- Life in Exile (2020)
Singles
[edit]- "Big Girls" (2011)
- "Living Every Dream" (2012)
- "Underwater Tank" (2012) (with Lil Ugly Mane)
- "Helicopter" (2013)
- "Automatic" (2013)
- "Dying in the P****" (2013)
- "25th St. Sessions" (2016) (as Antonio Williams, with Kerry McCoy)
- "FNF" (2019) (with Sly C)
- "Reign in England" (2019)
- "DMT" (2020) (with Topprraaa)
- "Perry Jules" (2020)
Guest appearances
[edit]- Isaiah Toothtaker - "Waterbed Wave" from Sea Punk Funk (2012)
- Shadowrunners - "Smooth" from Cyberdine (2012)
- Mishka & Rad Reef - "Hyperbolic Chamber Music" (2012)
- Hot Sugar - "No Joke" from Midi Murder (2012)
- Hot Sugar - "Mama, I'm a Man" and "56k" from Made Man (2013)
- Juiceboxxx - "Pump It (Remix)" (2013)
- Kitty - "Scout Finch Bitch" from D.A.I.S.Y. Rage (2013)
- Lil Ugly Mane - "Underwater Tank" from The Weeping Worm (2014)
- Jesse Medina - "Dream Big, Think Bigger" from Meet Jesse Medina (2014)
- Little Pain - "Pain Killers" from L.I.T.T.L.E. (2014)
- Pictureplane - "Total Confusion" (2015)
- Crookers - "Strokin'" from Sixteen Chapel (2015)
- Shy Girls - "Xhampagne" from 4WZ (2015)
- Wiki - "Whole Half" and "Patience" from Lil Me (2015)
- Wiki - "God Bless Me (Remix)" (2016)
- clipping. - "Back Up" from Wriggle (2016)
- Corbin - "Something Safe" from Mourn (2017)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Antwon". BBC Music. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ Johnson, James (June 9, 2016). "Secret Circle (Lil Ugly Mane, Wiki, Antwon) "Keep It Low"". Mass Appeal. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Port, Ian S. (May 7, 2014). "At the Zoo With Antwon". SF Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Cohen, Ian (March 6, 2013). "Antwon: In Dark Denim". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Drake, David; Baker, Ernest (March 16, 2013). "15 Unsigned Rappers Who Should Get a Deal After SXSW - Antwon". Complex. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Mench, Chris (August 2, 2014). "25 New Rappers to Watch Out For In 2014 - Antwon". Complex. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Mlynar, Phillip (March 6, 2013). "Antwon's Twisted Vision: Sex Rap, Punk Vibes, and Kid Rock". SF Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Weinstock, Tish (March 17, 2014). "A First Date With... Antwon". Vice. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Schmitt, Eli (June 27, 2013). "Antwon: genre benders". Paper. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Way, Mish (August 16, 2013). "Getting to Know You: White Lung's Mish Way x Antwon". Vice. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Phaneuf, Whitney (March 13, 2013). "Antwon on the Fringe". East Bay Express. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Savage, Emily (September 11, 2012). "Dream of the '90s (1/2)". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (August 2, 2012). "Download Antwon End Of Earth Mixtape". Stereogum. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Swan, Rachel (December 21, 2012). "The 10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012". SF Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Cooper, Duncan (February 14, 2013). "Download Antwon's In Dark Denim Mixtape". The Fader. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Soderberg, Brandon (February 20, 2013). "Rap Release of the Week: Antwon's 'In Dark Denim'". Spin. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Plaugic, Lizzie (May 13, 2014). "Antwon - Heavy Hearted In Doldrums". CMJ. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Gwee, Karen (February 20, 2016). "Top 10 Songs of the Week (2/19): 01. Antwon – "Luv"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ Hughes, Josiah (October 6, 2017). "Antwon 'Sunnyvale Gardens' (mixtape)". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ^ Lin, Yu-Cheng (December 15, 2017). "20 Best Hip-Hop Mixtapes of 2017". Red Bull. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Soderberg, Brandon (July 31, 2012). "First Spin: Antwon Slow Jams The Apocalypse On New Album, 'End Of Earth'". Spin. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Port, Ian S. (March 14, 2013). "San Jose Rapper Antwon Breaks Through a Hellish Set at SXSW". SF Weekly. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Way, Mish (January 18, 2014). "Q&A: California rapper Antwon does things the punk way". Aux. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew; Yoo, Noah (May 18, 2018). "Secret Circle (Wiki, Antwon, and Lil Ugly Mane) Break Up". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (May 18, 2018). "Lil Ugly Mane: "Secret Circle is a wrap"". The Fader. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (May 22, 2018). "Antwon, Wiki, And Lil Ugly Mane Release Statements After Secret Circle Break Up". Stereogum. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (May 21, 2018). "Wiki and Lil Ugly Mane Indicate Secret Circle Broke Up Over Antwon's Treatment of Women". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
External links
[edit]- 1986 births
- Living people
- West Coast hip hop musicians
- Musicians from San Jose, California
- Songwriters from California
- Rappers from California
- African-American male rappers
- American male rappers
- American rappers of Filipino descent
- People from Key West, Florida
- Songwriters from Florida
- People from Sunnyvale, California
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male musicians
- African-American songwriters
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- American male songwriters