Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band

There are countless stories about artists who switched careers abruptly after witnessing a single inspirational performance. Robin Williams was likely to follow in his father's footsteps at Ford Motor Company had he not been lured into acting by Dr. Stangelove. And who knows what direction William Hung was heading before he saw Ricky Martin's 'She Bangs' video? Afra had come to Brooklyn from Tokyo to pursue a career in horticulture but that changed instantly one night in 1996 when he heard the man with "the most gifted mouth outside the porn industry." And no, I don't mean Kenny G, I'm talking about Rahzel from the Roots:

"Porn got nothin' on me."

Afra was bitten by the beatbox bug and there was no hope for recovery. For the next four years he honed his new craft, strengthening his ribcage and perfecting his breath control at the karaoke bar where he worked. In 2002 he was crowned Grand Champion at the Beatbox Battle Of Brooklyn. Upon returning to Japan he joined forces with Kei and K-Moon from the Tokyo street scene to form the Incredible Beatbox Band. The trio has since become one of the best known beatbox groups in hip hop, touring the globe extensively and playing massive festivals such as the Sonar in Spain.

"And don't forget, they were the opening act on my tour!"

Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band's 2006 release I.B.B. features guest appearances by Money Mark, Tucker, and La Rock.

Incredible Batltimore Breakbeat Apache Fly Me To The K-Moon