WATCH: Epic Records’ Astro on Life After X-Factor & Being Black History in the Making

At just 15 years old, Brian Bradley, aka Astro (which is short for the Astronomical Kid), is well on his way to achieving his career goals. An aspiring rapper from Brooklyn, NY, Astro wowed audiences with his national debut on Simon Cowell’s talent show X-Factor, where he performed original renditions of popular records from hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, Eminem and Kriss Kross. Although the young MC didn’t take home the show’s grand prize, his apparent talent and swelling of fan support (over 200,000 Twitter followers known as #TeamAstro or Astronauts) led to a record deal with Epic Records under the mentorship of X-Factor judge and record executive L.A. Reid. Prepping for the release of his debut album later this year, Astro, who also has his own Website TheAstronomicalKid.com, spoke with BlackEnterprise.com about his struggles with fame, how he’s grown since the show, how he finds inspiration in Spike Lee‘s work and why he’s Black History in the Making.

Video shot and edited by Brain Food Film.