The brightest lights cast the sharpest shadows,
carving edges that cut straight to the heartwood. A concept all too familiar to Baltimore bred, Tampa based artist, Brion Aiota. Rooted in Hip-Hop, with branches dipping into other styles, his music bears the refined offering of season cycled growth in the creative landscape.
You can almost count the rings with every line. Brimming with wit and eloquence, he delivers a ripe take at each turn. Oftentimes leaning into sun-starved corners of the human experience, a haunting, odious spirit hangs tension in the air until it is cut down by some strange cousin of hope.
Beneath reflections on mental health, addiction, love, faith, abandonment, and other matters of the gravitic realm, underlies a cynical humor. It plays as a dark comedy, bending with the winds of vulnerability and aggression. If DMX and Nirvana had a lovechild, you'd get a bouncing baby Brion.
That dichotomous nature continues to bleed through in his production. Head knocking drums and swirling textures crash with tidal force against soft, melodic shores. The ebb and flow of energy breathes a dynamic canvas for the assertive tone swimming in the quasi-rasp of his voice.
As a single father of two boys on the autism spectrum, he is fiercely driven to provide them a better life. Persevering through myriad struggles to turn every rock bottom to a
stepping stone, guided by the cosmic promise that if you dig deep enough, you'll come out the other side.
A self contained creative powerhouse, he crafts every element of music, writing, and visual artwork. From first spark to final wisp, the flames cling to him for life, burning his silhouette into the walls that stretch from heart to mind. And as we know-- the brightest lights cast the sharpest shadows.
Brion Aiota's newest single, Mercy Is, released in April 2024 through his label, Rough Sleeper. Co-owned alongside fellow artist, Grey Smith, they're providing profound storytelling through high-level writing and production.
