Asher D (British rapper)
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- For the Daddy Freddy and Music of Life associate see Asher D (Jamaican-British rapper)
Asher D (born Ashley Walters on 30 June 1982 in London) is a British rapper and actor. He was raised by his mother, Pamela Case, a local government officer [1].
He has two sons (Shayon and Paniro) and a daughter (China), with wife Natalie (née Williams).[2][3] Ashley attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, in London, from the age of 7. He appeared in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles at age 10 and Grange Hill at age 14. With Dewi Bruce Konuah, he co-owns a production company, AD82 Productions, specialising in talent in the British music and film industries.
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[edit] Music career
Musically, he is best known as Asher D in the group So Solid Crew. He enjoyed relative success as a lyricist, particularly for the number 1 hit 21 Seconds. After the group split, he went on to focus on other projects, most recently 2006's In Memory of the Street Fighter, featuring the single "Andrea". An ode to a young girl assaulted by an older man, it has been his best commercially-received track yet[citation needed].
Asher D has released a new studio album this year on AD82 records, entitled "The Appetiser", a full 12 track album produced by both Asher D and Laurence Ezra.
[edit] Gun crime
Asher D didn't escape the gun controversy that surrounded So Solid Crew. Following an argument with a traffic warden in July 2001, he was found to be carrying a loaded gun. He was arrested and, in 2002, jailed for 18 months, in a young offenders' institute. Having spent the previous nine months in custody, he only had a further nine months to serve[4]. The gun's ammunition was modified, making it a lethal weapon. [5]
[edit] Film and TV career
Asher D is also an actor, appearing under his full name, Ashley Walters. He appeared in Bullet Boy, where he played the title role, and was named Best Newcomer for the role, at the British Independent Film Awards. He also appeared in Get Rich or Die Tryin' alongside 50 Cent. He played the role of "Wolf" in teenage spy film Stormbreaker, and "Danny" in the film Life and Lyrics from which he has received many plaudits. He has recently filmed WΔZ, alongside Selma Blair and Melissa George, and Sugarhouse Lane. He played Lacey in the BBC Three drama pilot West 10 LDN.
From episode 2 of the fourth series of BBC TV drama Hustle, he has played the character Billy Bond (replacing Adrian Lester who played Mickey Bricks). He was also cast as Bugzy on MTV series Top Buzzer. He also played the role of "Al B" in the 2006 production of "House of 9" alongside Dennis Hopper.
[edit] Discography
[edit] So Solid Crew albums
- They Don't Know — Released 2001, Reached UK #4
- Fuck It — Released 2002 (Remix album)
- 2nd Verse — Released 2003, Reached Uk #44
[edit] Solo albums
- Why Me? — Unreleased garage album
- Street Sibling — Released June 2004
- Cure for Cancer Mixtape — Released June 2006
- In Memory of the Street Fighter — Released October 2006
- The Appetiser — Released November 2007
[edit] Singles
- "Back in the Day / Why Me?" — Released May 2002
- "Andrea" — Released January 2007
- "Don't Feel Like Dancin'" — Released March 2007
[edit] References
- ^ Who is Asher D?, BBC Newsround, 25 March 2002
- ^ Asher D biography on fan site
- ^ Ashley Walters: Bullet Boy, interview on BBC Movies site
- ^ Asher D gets jailed for gun crime, BBC Newsround, 25 March 2002
- ^ So Solid Crew rapper sentenced to 18 months for having loaded gun, Daily Telegraph, 26 March 2002
