August Alsina

August Alsina is an American contemporary R&B and hip hop artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is born in 1992 and later relocates to Atlanta in 2011 under the guidance of NNTME MuCo, also known as Noontime, a management and production company. His work draws on his experiences growing up in New Orleans and Houston, and he builds his style around autobiographical writing and a sound that sits apart from mainstream R&B.

Early life

Alsina grows up in a family affected by drug addiction and violence. His father and stepfather both battle crack addiction, and his mother moves the family from New Orleans to Houston, Texas in search of a better life. His home life in Houston remains unstable, and at 14 he learns that his father, August Sr., dies after struggles with drugs and alcohol. A year later, his best friend is shot and killed in Houston. At 16, he is forced out of his mother’s home and returns to New Orleans, where he moves between relatives and friends, sometimes sleeping outside a corner store and later selling drugs to survive. Just before his 18th birthday, his older brother is killed in New Orleans East.

Career

Alsina begins posting homemade performance videos on YouTube as an escape from his situation. His covers of Musiq Soulchild and Lyfe Jennings spread widely and gather millions of views in a little over a month. After his brother’s death, he decides to pursue music more seriously and builds his career around songs that reflect his life experiences.

In 2012 he releases his debut mixtape, The Product, with DJ Scream. The project gains him internet and radio attention and includes “Sucka”, a track featuring fellow New Orleans singer Lloyd and produced by Sound Mob. He later follows it with a second The Product release in collaboration with DJ Drama and his Gangsta Grillz series. Its lead single, “I Luv This Shit”, features Trinidad Jame$ and is produced by Knucklehead. Birdman appears on the remix, supporting the song and Alsina’s growing profile.

MTV later names him one of its 2013 Fab 5 artists to watch, and the exposure helps turn his independent video “Downtown” featuring Kidd Kidd into a viral hit with nearly one million views in less than two months. “Downtown” becomes the title track of Downtown: Life Under the Gun, his first official NNTME/Radio Killa/Def Jam release. The eight-song EP includes collaborations with Trinidad Jame$, Kidd Kidd, Curren$y and Rich Homie Quan. Alsina describes the release as a short introduction to his background and outlook rather than a full album.

Style and themes

Alsina’s music is rooted in contemporary R&B, hip hop and hip hop soul. His songs often focus on hardship, survival, violence, addiction and the realities of street life, with a direct and personal approach shaped by his own upbringing in New Orleans and Houston.