Astro Signs With Epic Records

Astro, the 15-year-old Brooklyn rapper who made waves on The X Factor and clashed with Simon Cowell, has landed his first record deal with Epic Records.

As a contestant on the popular singing competition series, Astro, a BET Music Matters alum, made it to the top 10 and was known for his passionate and defiant attitude. He once refused to perform when faced with possible elimination, leading to an emotional confrontation with Cowell. Astro, born Brian Bradley, later apologized for the incident.

Since leaving The X-Factor, Astro has accumulated a sizeable following, with nearly 200,000 followers on Twitter. At Epic, he'll join a roster that includes Jennifer Lopez, Sean Kingston, Brandy, Shakira and the winner of the inaugural season of the U.S. version of X Factor, Melanie Amaro. Previously, he denied rumors of having signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

"It's like a dream ... I can finally say I'm working on my album," he told the New York Daily News of his signing to the major label.

Epic's president is none other than L.A. Reid, who served as Astro's mentor on the show. The young MC said he was particularly grateful to the venerable music executive.

"Thank you for believing in me," he said of Reid. "I'm just grateful to be able to work with someone like [him]."

But Astro, short for The Astronomical Kid, still maintained a bit of his infamous egotistical streak.

"I'm just excited to see myself on billboards," he said. "I'm getting ready to be a star."

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(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox/PictureGroup)