Hailing straight out of the Midwestern city of Chicago, R&B phenomenon, Alfonzo Hunter delivers the music world a serious reality check.  Having worked with music industry heavy hitters such as R.Kelly, Erick Sermon, Def Squad, and Fabolous, Hunter unleashes his triple threat talents as singer, songwriter, and producer to the world.  Emerging from Chi-Town’s legendary assemblage of groundbreaking music artistry, Hunter knows he has a lot to show and prove this time around.

No stranger to the music industry, Hunter was part of the rise of late-'90s soul singers. Hunter’s 1996 debut album titled BLACKA DA BERRY released on Def Squad Records - the label formed by Def Squad and Erick Sermon, nearly went Gold and produced the popular single “Just The Way (Playas Play).”  When Def Squad moved to Motown after the close of parent-label EMI, Hunter was hungry to deliver more of his hypnotic tracks on a new album.   Unfortunately, Def Squad

Alfonzo Hunter

2005 marks the come back year for this talented ingénue.  Knowing he has a lot to prove, Hunter’s newest and greatest anthology, I AM WHAT I AM expresses his thoughts on what love, relationships, lust, and infidelity mean to him.  His first album on independently-owned Romeo Entertainment proves that the quality and the content of the record is what matters most to him.  “Lyrically when people listen to this album they’re going to get something special from me,” vows Hunter, and that is exactly what is delivered consistently on the record.

The first unforgettable single off this album, “Don’t Stop” featuring Fabolous is destined to be the club anthem of 2005.  Other tracks such as “High School,” “I Was Wrong, “Holla Back” and “Hustler” are timeless R&B hits that are a clear indication of Hunter’s talents as a musician. “I Am What I Am” is proof that life experiences, both good and bad, are key to making a remarkable album.

The album is an eclectic mix of heart-felt ballads, punch drunk love lullabies, and dance-ready club bangers.  Spanish guitars make way for Hunter’s soulful delivery about bittersweet romances gone awry and modern day Romeo and Juliet ‘hood stories. Hunter engulfs you with feather-light love songs to candid tales of guilty pleasures.  The album, which draws from his own experiences of love and relationships, mixed with infectious syncopated beats, proves that time has refined him…and now he’s ready to unleash his perfected masterpiece.

Coming from a Gospel and Jazz musically inclined family; there were things that Hunter realized young in life. The musical genes pumping through his blood would inevitably lead him into a career in music.  Coerced by his mother to attend a gifted and talented school, Hunter took up classical music training at one of Chicago’s most notable performing arts high schools, Curie Metropolitan. This became his rite of passage into the world of music. It was then that he found his musical instrument of choice, the alto sax. His passion for this instrument paved the way for a life-long journey into music.

Hunter’s first opportunity came when Keith Henderson, music director at the time for R. Kelly, was searching for a back-up singer for the burgeoning Chicagoan R&B artist. Hunter, auditioning solely for the saxophonist opening, was encouraged to try out for the singing spot.  Hunter left the audition with a surprising outcome; he was to become R. Kelly’s back-up singer for the next six months. The rapid introduction into the music business would later lead Hunter into music production. While attending Roosevelt University in Chicago, he took up music production and engineering. Years of beat making, coupled with carefully crafted songwriting, made Hunter’s dedication to the art of music making noteworthy.  He’s worked alongside the likes of Jazze Phe and Erick Sermon, as well as produced tracks for several international artists.

Despite the music industry’s hasty factory-like turnover in recording artists, this R&B vocalist, songwriter, and production extraordinaire is back…and here to stay. Hunter demands his own spotlight and most importantly keeps his poise by continuing to make what Hunter himself describes as “passionate music.” Passion in his music is what sets records like I AM WHAT I AM apart from his competition.  This album is a moving collection of songs that speaks about love, its torments and exultations. Creatively meshing traditional rhythm and blues beats with his occasional French horn is what sets Hunter apart from other R&B artists. He’s truly an “out-of-the-box” entertainer. Clear out the cookie-cutter R&B clutter and make way for the return of Alfonzo Hunter.

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