Stro facts for kids

Brian Vaughn Bradley Jr. (born September 27, 1996) is an American rapper, music producer, and actor. He is better known by his stage name Stro. He has also used the names Astro and The Astronomical Kid.

Stro first became famous in 2011 as a contestant on the American TV show The X Factor USA. During his audition, he impressed the judges with an original song he wrote. His mentor on the show was the famous producer L.A. Reid. Stro finished in the top seven contestants.

After the show, Stro began a successful acting career. He has appeared in TV shows like Person of Interest and Red Band Society. He also starred in major movies, including Earth to Echo and A Walk Among the Tombstones.

Early life

Stro was born Brian Vaughn Bradley Jr. in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up with his Jamaican mother and his younger sister.

He started rapping when he was only ten years old. His mother told him she would pay for studio time if he improved his grades in school. This encouraged him to work hard. Soon after, he released his first song and created his first mixtape, called B.O.A. (Birth of Astro). He also began making his own beats in the hip hop style.

Music career

The X Factor USA

When he was 14, Bradley auditioned for the first season of The X Factor USA. He performed his own song, "Stop Looking at My Mom," and all four judges voted "yes." This sent him to the next round.

He made it to the live shows and reached the top seven before being eliminated from the competition.

Performances on The X Factor

Here are the songs Stro performed on the show:

Career After The X Factor

After leaving the show, Stro released a mixtape called Loser, which was about his time on The X Factor. He was nominated for a BET Award in the Young Stars category and presented an award at the NAACP Image Award Show with actress Keke Palmer.

In 2012, Stro took a break from music to find his own unique style. He later returned with new songs like "Deadbeat" and "Methods." These songs were part of his mixtape Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics, which had a gritty, classic hip-hop sound inspired by his hometown of Brooklyn.

Acting career

Stro's first acting role was as Darren McGrady in the TV series Person of Interest. In 2014, he had major roles in two movies. He played Tucker "Tuck" Simms in the science fiction film Earth to Echo and TJ in A Walk Among the Tombstones alongside Liam Neeson.

That same year, he was a main character named Dash Hosney in the FOX TV series Red Band Society. More recently, he played Calvin Walker in the Netflix movie See You Yesterday (2019). The film, produced by Spike Lee, uses time travel to explore serious social issues.

In 2019, it was reported that Stro was originally cast in the HBO show Euphoria. However, he left the show because it contained a lot of adult content. He was replaced by his Earth to Echo co-star, Algee Smith.

Discography

Albums

• Grade A Frequencies (2017)
• Back On Saratoga (2020)
• Everywhere Your Not (2021) (an instrumental album with Mixsa)

Extended Plays (EPs)

• The Astronomical Kid - EP (2009)
• Computer Era (2014)
• Nice 2 Meet You, Again (2018)
• Last Friday (2019)

Singles

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations