Harlem has long been a cultural epicenter of New York — most famously in the Harlem Renaissance and more recently in the Litefeet movement.
If you’re a fan of street dances or are just a pop culture aficionado, you might already be familiar with The Chicken Noodle Soup, The Rev Up, and other Litefeet dances. But you may not be familiar with Alfa Blvck, one of the tastemakers responsible for shaping the movement itself.
Alfa left an indelible footprint on Harlem’s dance history in the 2000s. Now, he wants to set himself apart as a rapper and producer. He’s hardly new to either — he started experimenting with recording and producing as a young child. “Eleven is when I started ACID Pro 3.0,” he says. “I can use any interface now.”
Alfa Blvck had endless creative freedom as a kid, and he says that’s part of why he became such a versatile performer. “Nobody was managing me, and I was a kid from the projects that was just making music,” he says. “So nobody was like, you should focus on beats first or rap first.”
Building on his many talents as a rapper and producer, Alfa Blvck has begun a new venture as the founder and CEO of Alfa Music Group. This label marks his formal debut in the music industry and demonstrates his desire to create, curate, and promote unique music.
A quick skim through his discography gives you an idea of just how inventive the prodigious creator can be. His “Peaches & Eggplants” Freestyle shows off classic rap chops. But Alfa resists predictability at every turn — “Tea” features his own version of the opening of Dido’s “Thank You.” Many of his tracks give a nod to memes (“Find Out”), TV characters (“Green Lantern”), and media personalities (“Don Lemon”).
Alfa Blvck is more than willing to share his talent with other artists in the Harlem music scene. “I’ve recorded a lot of albums for other artists,” he says. “They like coming to my studio […] They can just kind of let loose. I’m a tech guy. We do music. I feel like I embody what New York used to be, and a big part of what I’m doing is trying to bring that back.”
He also hosts local showcases for up-and-coming rappers and other artists. “This is still Harlem, and to this day, I still don’t know another place that has harder MCs, rappers, and phenomenal talent than New York,” he says.
These events don’t only feature mainstream-style rap artists: “There are guys like me that are actually even younger that know how to conceptualize really crazy records. I’ve heard alternative stuff come from a guy that’s in Harlem.”
It is refreshing to see a rising artist who isn’t only focused on his own career but dedicated to helping other musicians build their own careers. This Harlem visionary’s journey is certainly one to watch.
How does Alfa Blvck feel about breaking past his former persona and into a new personal renaissance? He’s pretty confident about his ability to rise above and become a new powerhouse in both rap and production. “I’m not the underdog,” he says. “I’m the wolf.”