X MARKS THE SPOT
AT L.A. REID’S EPIC

He was their mentor during a succesful run at The X Factor, and now L.A. Reid’s their label boss.

Chris Rene, Marcus Canty and Astro have officially signed with the veteran exec’s Epic Records.

The trio, known on Twitter as #TeamLAReid, join the show’s winner Melanie Amaro on the label.

Rene won over America’s hearts with his inspirational story, charisma and original songs, finishing third overall behind Amaro and runner-up Josh Krajcik. The Santa Cruz, CA, native struggled with various addictions, which he overcame with the support of his family, who helped him decide to enter into rehab. With just 70 days sober under his belt, Chris took a leap of faith to pursue his dream and auditioned for The X Factor performing “Young Homie”an original song that he wrote and produced, which quickly became a fan favorite throughout the season. Rarely has an original song ever led to a spot on a talent competition. Confident in his writing, producing and vocal abilities, Rene then followed suit by penning and performing his second original track, “Where Do We Go From Here,” which helped save him from elimination. His videos have attracted a collected 20 million views on YouTube.

“I’ve dreamt about this momentous moment my whole life and now it’s here,” says Chris. “Working with L.A. Reid ‘Big Homie’ is a dream come true. He's a great man and I look forward to the opportunity to share my music with the world.”

The 20-year-old Canty has been singing since he was five, reciting his favorite TV jingles and Disney songs. Raised by his mother, who first exposed him to gospel music at church, he began performing at the age of 11. His grandmother exposed him to the likes of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder—who became the musical prodigy’s inspirations. With aspirations of pursuing a career in the music industry, following high school graduation Marcus was given a two-year window to make that dream a reality by his mom when he auditioned for The X Factor and blew the judges away with his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.”

“I am very blessed and grateful to God for the opportunity to become a part of the Epic family,” says Marcus. “I am excited about working with my mentor L.A. Reid, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. This is history in the making."

Brooklyn-bred 15-year old hip-hop phenom Astro (Brian Bradley) rose to mainstream stardom following an impressive 10-week run on the show. After making a lasting impression at his audition, Astro secured his position as a prominent mainstay and kept viewers on the edge of their seats week after week with his original lyrics and high-energy performances.
As the only contestant to consistently write new material each week, Astro took Grammy-nominated Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and made it his own. Honing his craft since the age of 10, Astro first burst onto the scene a few years back with his original composition, “Stop Looking at My Mom,” which became an instant viral sensation.

Said Astro: "I'm excited to continue my journey with L.A. Reid and his staff at the new Epic Records. The first time L.A. saw me, he said I'd be a star, and I can't wait to get to work and prove him right. 2011 was dope, but 2012 is gonna be Epic!”