Artist of the Month - A.K.A.

Name: Byron Franklin

Age: 24

Hometown: Philadelphia

Label: Fitted Cap/X-Clusive Ent.

Current Album: Diary of a Hustla

Release Date: Nov. 21, 2007 - Go get it!

Sitting down with A.K.A.

Why should we buy your album? Because it's rare that you can buy a hip-hop album that you can listen to from the first to last track, and not only get to know me but its songs that can touch you and give you the strength to make it through situations in your life when your ready to give up and throw in the towel.

Favorite song on the album: Wow that's hard. There's so many. Umm.. it would be my first single "Gotta Be Strong," because that song can hopefully change the way men do certain things and the next generation of kids coming up after us can be better than us.

Who does your beats? I get beats from Akhilles of On Fire Prod and my man Shif of Fitted Cap Ent.

Musical influences: Wow, do you have enough paper? lol... Notorious B.I.G, 2Pac, The Lox, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Run Dmc, Krs One, MC Brains, J.D, Diddy, Big L, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Timbaland, Scarface, Jay-Z, Nas that's cool for now, don't wanna run out of ink lol

Top 5 all time songs: Juicy-Notorious B.I.G, Dear Mama-2 Pac, If I Ruled The World-Nas, Loddy doddy-Slick Rick, Friend Or Foe-Jay-Z. That's a few but I have more than 5.

Current album you're listing to: I'm listening to "Diary Of A Hustla" and "Graduation." T hose are well put together albums. Both are in the top ten releases of the year, along with "Curtis," "American Gangster," and a few others.

Favorite rock album: I don't listen to much, but whatever Greenday album had "Basket Case." Dookie, man... It was Dookie!!!

50 or Kanye: I like both, but its hard to compare cause they give you two different styles.

Lil Kim, hit it or run for your life: LMAO I wouldn't hit it, but she seems like a cool person. I'd like to work with her.

Who has better weed? Snoop or Willie Nelson? I'd have to go with snoop I've heard stories.

Kimora Lee or Coco a.k.a. Mrs. Ice T? Wow. How about both wth a video camera lol... If I had to choose I would go with Kimora Lee.

You've been kidnapped... Who do you call? A-Team or Macgyver? The A-team will come in kicking ass, but I'd go with Macgyver. 'cause even if he got caught too, he would get us out. I mean this dude can pick a lock with shoestrings fam lol that's gangsta

Did you have a big wheel? Hell yeah! I use to go backwards, then pedal forward real fast so it would seem like I'm burning out. What you know about that!? lol

Source or XXL? I would have to say XXL. That's what I read more nowadays.

Vanilla Ice or Suge Knight? Come on... This is like a Pit Bull or a Kitten... Suge Knight

1992... Kris Kross arrived... Did you wear your clothes backwards? Yeah I'm guilty, but I'm not sure if I did it outside. Shout outs to Johnny and the Big Wheel Biker Gang, my man YJ the whole Fitted Cap/X-Clusive Fam, Dj Statix, Akhilles and On Fire Productions the hottest beat makers under the cap Time to make history go cop the album it's a work of art and hit the page up myspace.com/thebestalias