The hip-hop scene in Atlanta has drastically changed over the years; however, there are some artists who still represent the roots of Atlanta rap and show their love for the music. One artist that is still exemplifying Atlanta from a musical perspective is Aleon Craft. Solar-Hop, the genre that Aleon Craft professes as his style, is a blend of music that is energetic, uplifting, and compelling. The music that Aleon Craft touches can cause any listener to notice that he is doing what he loves and music is his passion.
Aleon Craft developed his music career with Da Backwudz which he and his cousin started in 1998 as soon as he got out of high school.
Growing up on the Eastside of Atlanta in Decatur allowed Aleon Craft “…to make songs about what we want… we were on an island by ourselves… In our own little world.” As an Atlanta artist, he is optimistic that the South is getting the recognition that it deserves again in the hip-hop community. The success of Atlanta rap has allowed Aleon Craft to be confident that as people continue to have their ear to the South, they will come across his work and realize what his solar-hop blend is all about. With the high energy and lyricism that come from within him, one cannot help but move to the beat.
Recently, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra teamed up with SMKA to work on a hip-hop collaboration with an artist of their choice. When Aleon Craft was contacted to be part of this unique experience he jumped on it as soon as he could. While growing up, Aleon Craft had played in the middle school band and the concert series was an ongoing effort to get middle school kids involved in music. The concert’s basis was to teach middle school children the concept of melodies: the backbone of all music. Having the opportunity to create a musical project such as this has created an epoch of what Aleon Craft’s music has been known to be.
As Aleon Craft spends most of his time in the lab recording new records, it is obvious that the best is yet to come from the man from Decatur. Currently, Aleon Craft is still promoting the “Stargazing Soundtrack” which was put out to coincide with his Stargazing Tour. More recently, Aleon Craft has been at Stankonia Studios doing a collaboration with Royal Flush which features Pill and Pastor Troy titled “Voyage to Atlanta,” which is to drop at the end of the year. From bangers such as “Donkey Kong,” to real life testimony like “Brand New Day,” it isn’t far-fetched to say that Aleon Craft is the most complex artist out of Atlanta today. The prospect of what the future holds for this rare talent will come to the surface as Aleon Craft is preparing for the New Year with plenty of new music and a profusion of energy.