C , LGBTQ ACTIVIST , ACTOR and DJ ... AIKO FINESSE Herbert , a South Carolinian has been captivating audiences since the tender age of twelve . Born August 1 , 1987 , Aiko did not feel as though he fit in with other kids . He was often teased and bullied on his appearance and the darkness of his skin . All the topsy-turvy emotions sent Aiko to an uncomfortable place as he began to suffer from headaches that soon led to anger issues . Worried about how the peer pressure was affecting Aiko , his family decided to place him in therapy sessions several times a week . During his 4th grade year , his school guidance counselor gave him a suggestion …, " When you begin to feel angry , upset , or sad , I want you to write your feelings on a piece of paper and once you have written down all of the things that anger you , throw the note paper away ." Instead , Aiko kept every single one of those “ anger notes ” that he ' d written and began to use them to make his way out of that dark place . Those thoughts were soon channeled into the lyrical phenomenon that he is today … A fortunate gift uprooted by unfortunate circumstances . Aiko ’ s lyrics tell the story of an unhappy child who grew to be a troubled teen that later became a well sought after disc jockey . Words of life is revealed through personal events , poetry , spoken words and music . This artist is well on the way to superstardom . In 2008 , Aiko attended the Art Institute of Atlanta too study music and video production . Additionally , this is where AIKO also grasped other aspects of the entertainment industry . However , due to financial hardship , Aiko would return home to South Carolina in the Spring of 2009 , but that was just a temporary setback . Aiko continued to leave his impression in the industry and was invited to travel to New York and audition for the BET hit show “ 106 & Park ”. Aiko poured divine passion into his audition that left the judges utterly impressed ; dubbing his as the younger version of the iconic music mogul , Lil Wayne . Aiko has also won distinguished awards such as the " NEWBERRY GOT TALENT " ( 1st place for two consecutive years ), followed by “ BEST MC AND CROWD FAVORITE ”. Aiko also entered the “ Coast 2 Coast Mixtape Showcase ” ( ATL Edition ) and won 2nd place . He also entered his video " Energy Cover " into their video showcase and won 1st place . Expanding his passion for music , in 2013 Aiko began to self-teach his self the art of deejaying and within one year , a new buzz started to swarm in his favor . Aiko is booked all across his hometown and state for weddings , family events , birth parties , and more ! In 2015 , he secured his first out of state gig at “ CLUB ARGOS " in Augusta , Georgia , followed by gigs with Columbia , South Carolina ’ s only LGBT night spot " KRAVE ". Aiko corded his first song " COLORS " alongside a rising female MC and videographer known as YPC NAE . Aiko is steady making a name for his self and this is only the beginning for this rising phenomenon .
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