By: Maria Williams
In music — as with other industries — the real kingmakers work behind the scenes. For decades, Harlem’s Afla Blvck has been one such kingmaker in the vibrant world of New York music. But now, he’s eager to claim his place in the spotlight in the Harlem music world and beyond.
You might be familiar with Alfa Blvck by way of the Lite Feet movement, a dance style that started in Harlem in 2006 and quickly spread around the world.
Alfa Blvck was one of the main artists behind that movement. “And I was one of the proprietors of that music before I was old enough to drink,” he says. “Before I was old enough to be called a legal adult in America.”
Though Alfa Blvck was an incredible creative force behind the Lite Feet movement, he wasn’t one of the people loudly promoting it. Lite Feet got its first boosts of popularity from many in the Harlem rap community — and some outside of it.
“St. Catharine, Cathedral, all-girls schools — they played my stuff throughout the city a lot,” he says. It caught on, and soon, people worldwide were making their own Lite Feet videos and posting them online. “So that was my Lite Feet legacy. That’s how it got started,” he says.
Alfa Blvck’s versatility as an artist and producer is a major part of why he’s been an influential part of the New York music scene for so many years. He credits that versatility to the creative freedom he enjoyed in childhood.
“I was 11 when I started Acid Pro 3.0,” he says. “I can use any interface now. Nobody was managing me. I was a kid from the projects, just making music. So nobody was like you should focus on beats first or rap first.”
Until now, Alfa Blvck has primarily focused that talent and versatility on developing other artists, organizing shows, and otherwise infusing new life into the Harlem music scene. With years of writing, producing, and performing behind him, he’s more than ready to build his own brand.
Given his background, you might expect Alfa Blvck to describe himself as a rap or hip-hop artist. He doesn’t.
“I’m definitely omnidirectional with my genres,” he says. “I’ve been able to experiment a lot over the last 20 years. I’ve done rock songs. I’ve written full-on songs for women and girl groups. I don’t see any genre. But as a musician, if I hear it and I feel it, I can put it down.”
So what does Alfa Blvck’s personal renaissance sound like so far? “BREAD,” his latest single, combines elements of old-school and modern hip-hop. The emoji-inspired “Peaches & Eggplants” shows off both his impressive vocal timbre and his ability to deliver rapid-fire verse after verse.
These two singles are just the beginning, and there’s no telling what we’ll see from Alfa Blvck next. But given his genre-bending abilities and independent spirit, his new releases will be memorable. “I’m doing things myself,” he says. “I want to be an individual.”
Published by: Nelly Chavez
