AFu-Ra Preps New Album, Launches Label

Gang Starr affiliate Afu Ru is preparing his third album, State of the Arts. Afu said that his latest release is more diverse and more reflective of his musical tastes. "With this album I took a firmer direction musically in the way I wanted this album to go" Afu-Ra told AllHipHop.com. "This album is Hip-Hop […]

Gang Starr affiliate

Afu Ru is preparing his third album, State of the Arts.

Afu said that his latest

release is more diverse and more reflective of his musical tastes.

"With this album I

took a firmer direction musically in the way I wanted this album to go"

Afu-Ra told AllHipHop.com. "This album is Hip-Hop influenced with a lot

of diverse beats as far s rock and reggae. With this album I feel closer to

who I am as a person through music than I did with my previous albums."

State of the

Arts

is the first record of Afu Ra to be put out on his label Life Force

Records which is distributed through Decon.

"I feel great about

my partnership with Decon because now as opposed to being an artist, I am a

partner," Afu said. "I own my own masters and I don’t have to worry

about recouping out of my royalties and stuff to pay the label back. In the

end it just all works out better for me."

State of the

Arts features collaborations with artists like Royce Da 5’9, Masta Killa,

Kardinal Offishall and Gentlemen.

Afu also reunites with DJ

Premier on the track "Sucka Free" to show that the Gang Starr crew

is still in effect.

A side from working on his

third album and starting a label, Afu-Ra is also currently working on an upcoming

Perverted Monks project.

"We are definitely

working on a follow up to our debut [Afu-Ra Presents Perverted Monks] from last

year," Afu said. "This album is going to show case our sound, which

is perverted without being raunchy. We are like an intellectual version of the

2 Live Crew."

Afu-Ra is also set to embark

on a tour of the United States with Inspektah Deck and Planet Asia.

State of the

Arts

is slated to drop on June 14th.

Listed below are

tour dates, for more information log on to www.afu-ra.com.

Inspectah Deck, Afu-Ra, and Planet Asia Tour

May 30 – Brooklyn, NY North

Six

May 30 – Brooklyn, NY – North Six

May 31 – Buffalo, NY – The Icon

June 1 – Cleveland, OH – Peabodys

June 2 – Kingston, ON – Elxir

June 3 – Ottawa, ON – Babylon

June 4 – Toronto, ON – System Soundbar

June 5 – Montreal, QC – Foufones

June 6 – Lancaster, PA

June 7 – Philadelphia, PA

June 8 – Charlotte, NC – The Milestone

June 9 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506

June 10 – Wilmington, NC – The Soapbox

June 11 – Fairfield, VA – Jaxx

June 12 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar

June 14 – Orlando, Fl – The Social

June 15 – Tallahassee, FL – Beta Bar

June 16 – Memphis, TN – The Complex

June 17 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon

June 18 – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves (Dallas Suburb)

June 20 – Phoenix, AZ

June 21 – San Diego, CA

June 22 – Los Angeles, CA

June 23 – San Jose, CA – Zoe Nightclub

June 24 – San Fran, CA – Mighty

June 29 – Vancouver, BC – Richards on Richards

June 30 – Victoria, BC -Sugar Nightclub

July 1st – Whistler, BC

July 2nd – Calgary

July 3rd – Edmonton