Awon

Antwan Wiggins also known by his stage name “Awon” has distinguished himself as an emcee. Born on March 6, 1980 in Brooklyn, New York Awon was surrounded by culture. His earliest memories are of graffiti lined subway cars and DJ’s having jams in his neighborhood of Fort Greene. His influences were other prominent emcees of the Golden Era of Hip Hop like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and Slick Rick. In 1989 his family relocated to Newport News, Virginia.

As a teenager, Awon found himself immersed in an underground Hip Hop scene marked by smooth, jazzy production such as that of A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, and The Roots. Influenced by the culture, he was able to cultivate his own skills on the microphone and paid dues through various talent shows and showcases.

In 2006, AWON appeared as a feature on Canibus’s Hip Hop For Sale album on a track produced by Nottz. At the time, Awon was working with a crew, The Soul Students, on his debut album Beautiful Loser that was released on May 17, 2008 by Goon Trax Records in Japan.

Since then, Awon has been a figure in the new emerging Jazz Hop scene, working with close friend, Kameleon Beats to create distinctive sounds. Other collaborative efforts with producers such as Thomas Prime and Soul Chef were able to expand the sound to set a global presence. Currently, Awon is gearing up for a rerelease of Beautiful Loser in South Korea as well as a new album with Kameleon Beats, Brighter Days. Listeners can also expect a new album in the near future that will feature peers from within the Underground Hip Hop community.