C.ThaPhenom is the story of a man whose actual name is Clayton Allen Jr. Born in Seattle, Washington, Clayton grew up in a close family atmosphere within his home as well as extended relatives. Clayton's first love with music actually encountered in church as he would often be around live music talents with instruments and vocals as well as the choir. "It was all raw and just flat out live", is the way that he would word it. But suddenly an easy flow of good times and family came to an abrupt end.
When Clayton was 8 years old his parents moved south of Seattle to Federal Way, Wa.
At first, everything was undetectable as far as he knew. This is until Clayton's mother and father divorced and his life changed for the first time. Now being the oldest in a single mother setting, Clayton went from a child to being held responsible and accountable immediately. He became responsible for not only himself but for his younger sister and brother. His sister being the youngest was often taken care of but his brother had to be with him at all times. "Be in by dark and don't come in without your brother!", was Clayton's first rule. During this time, Clayton also began to find out that he actually liked music so much that he may have had enough taste for it to make his own."I've always been a creative thinker so writing lyrics and rapping and thinking was doing a lot more for me than I thought it was." He began to indulge and make it known that this is what he wanted to do. "I had time on my hands. My mom worked hard and long my whole life living with her so that gave me time to actively find who I was."
When Clayton was ten years old, he began to become more accquainted with his Mother's family. To his surprise, his older cousins actually ran an in house studio called Ghetto Savvi Entertainment. Clayton began to express his passion for music with them over a period of time and showing them folders of lyrics that he had wrote himself in his own time, acapella. When Clayton was twelve years old, he was given his first ever recording experience and convinced his family that he could hold his own. "From there on out I haven't looked back since." Working and laboring at his craft through the years, he excelled at a rediculous rate. Writing at home, school or anywhere he was inspired, he was misunderstood by those who didn't understand his connection with his craft. "Its been my only avenue being that I was always in a perdicament with nothing but time on my hands and as I began to find myself, I just kept searching.
At 16 years old, Clayton recieved a phone call from his mother saying that his cousin D'vonne Pickett Sr. aka "Young D" had passed. This was another drastic turning point because this was one of the only people who genuinely believed that he could make it. This meant that Clayton would have no easy routes out. Everything from that point on would come out of pure dedication and commitment on account of him. Clayton has persevered through jobs and living situations and still remains just as inspired as he ever was, if not more. "Opposition lets me know that I'm getting to something", he says. "I have to keep moving."
Now Clayton is a rapper named C.ThaPhenom and says that he has been a rapper eversince he started at eight. "That's when it counted", he adds. He now represents the principles and morals he grew up on at home while incorporating who he has become since his journey. He is rather an artist with a wide range of musical capabilities and a creative edge that keeps him going. "Real music is timeless so I won't stop." This reflects the ambition and drive inside of him that he will definitely need to be truly successful.