For solo artist Astro Jones, the poetry of Hip-Hop well may have saved his life, not just once but twice and counting. Defining himself the troubled child of his family, this rapper found a way to turn despair into accomplishment. Born Wayne Sonnier in Lake Charles, Louisiana, army brat Astro Jones spent his young life stationed in Germany with his parents. It was in second grade that the then MC Hammer fan got his first glimpse in the spotlight when he sang solo in the school play. Remembering the happy clapping and smiling faces in the crowd, he was too young to realize his true talent. His teen years would offer greater challenges. With little positive extracurricular activities and faring less than average in sports, Astro’s falling grades and behavior often landed him grounded in his room without the benefit of television, radio and telephone. Through those dark days he armed himself with a notebook, spending the quiet creating his own “words of art” on what seemed blank pages of his life. Recalling his favorite local artists Dr. Strangelove and Nameless, Astro challenged himself with the music he carried with him. The words of artists such as Busta Rhymes, Flipmode Squad, Black Starr and Slum Village encouraged him to roll these different genres of Hip-Hop into one person. That person was Astro Jones. Little did he know he was creating a new outlet for which to release his stressful tension. He started transitioning poetry with much more meaning and diversity of style. Astro went on to graduate from Montwood High School and enrolled in New Mexico State University majoring in mass communications. He got a job on the campus radio station, KRUX 91.5, airing The Astro Jones show, a two-hour segment on Sundays featuring a mixture of Hip-Hop and R & B. Helping to build a bigger fan base around the radio station, the responses were positive. During this time, Astro became best friends with alcoholism. Drinking too much, he dropped out of college and found himself in a state of depression. For the next two years, he was lost, looking for himself, and not using any of his skills. Going downhill fast, his friends encouraged him to start joining emcee battles. Entering and winning his first battle at Parkland High school, it was at his second that he met the Eye To Eye Productions family. A short time later Eye To Eye Productions’ president and vice-president Tito Diaz and Jesus Reyes roused him to practice music at a higher level. More advanced writing led to a solo album. He has since completed two releases, “Nytefall” and “Sonlyte”. “Nytefall” because it was a dark period in his life, always dark no matter what time of day it was and “Sonlyte”, where the darkness shed away and the light came back into his life. The “Sonlyte” album is now complete and ready for the world to listen to and enjoy. His third album, “Fresh Out”, will be a collaboration album featuring his own group, Reign Dropp Team. The album, to be released on Golden Rule Records, will feature artists including Millie Jane (Astro’s sister), Nameless, Mac and ZA to name a few. Astro Jones envisions his future on a good path. He is eager to use his music to reach other people by helping them develop their own skills as well as producing music for them. Now an emcee, songwriter and producer, Astro plans to drop an album a year for the next 15 years. Telling a story in song to any person, no matter their lifestyle, for which the audience makes his songs their own personal song, is worth dreaming about. For Astro Jones, realizing lost dreams gave him back his life.