Antwon

Antonio Paul Williams (born October 25, 1986), better known by his stage name Antwon, is an American rapper based in San Jose, California. In 2013, he was included on Complex's "15 Unsigned Rappers Who Should Get a Deal After SXSW" list. He was also included on Complex's "25 New Rappers to Watch Out For in 2014" list.

Biography

Born in Key West, Florida, to an African-American father and a Filipino mother, Antwon grew up in Sunnyvale, California. He was a member of the Philadelphia-based hardcore band Leather, as well as the pop punk bands Sour Patch and How to Summer.

Antwon's first mixtape, Fantasy Beds, was released in 2011. In that year, he also released My Westside Horizon.

In 2012, Antwon released a mixtape, End of Earth. SF Weekly included it on the "10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012" list. In 2013, he released a mixtape, In Dark Denim. It was listed as Spin's "Rap Release of the Week".

His first official studio album, Heavy Hearted in Doldrums, was released on UNIF and Nature World in 2014. In 2016, he released an EP, Double Ecstasy, on Anticon. In 2017, he released a mixtape, Sunnyvale Gardens. Red Bull placed it at number 20 on the "20 Best Hip-Hop Mixtapes of 2017" list.

Style and influences

Spin described Antwon as "an affable guy who might have one of rap's biggest, best-sounding voices, which he usually focuses on goofy jokes and surprisingly sweet bedroom raps." He has often been compared to The Notorious B.I.G. His texts mainly revolve around sex.

During his youth, he listened to Biohazard and thrash metal. He has also quoted Kid Rock and Prince among his influences.

Controversy

In 2016, Antwon formed Secret Circle along with Wiki and Lil Ugly Mane. Since then, the group released several tracks and played live performances across North America. In 2018, Lil Ugly Mane announced the breakup of the group, not initially indicating a specific reason for the breakup. Antwon posted a statement on Twitter, alluding to unnamed allegations. Wiki and Lil Ugly Mane subsequently indicated that the allegations mentioned in Antwon's statement, including abusive treatment of women, were the impetus for the breakup.