"Computer Era" is less than a week away.

After several years of releasing his music for free to the fans, Astro is finally set to make his commercial debut next Tuesday, December 2nd. Titled Computer Era, the EP is set to feature appearances from Bishop Nehru, Nathaniel, Flash Gordy, Spade, and Noelle Flores. Boi-1da and branUn DeShay handle production duties amongst a host of up-and-comers that Astro wanted to highlight. In an unusual marketing strategy, the record's first single "Champion" is set to premiere on BET's 106 & Park on the record's release date.

Computer Era was recorded entirely in Astro's bedroom. The title signifies the effect that the internet and social media has had on the music scene with regard to its lyrical and musical authenticity. That being said, Astro assures the fans that music politics will not be the album's focal point.

Stay tuned as we continue to cover Computer Era's release. Meanwhile, you can peep the artwork and tracklist in the gallery above.

Smoothly making the transition from actor to artist, Astro (also known as Astronomical Kid) is hungry to show his growing lyricism as he prepares to release his first commercial project through his own Grade A Tribe Records. Calling the EP Computer Era, he says it refers to the negative impact that modern technology has had on music creativity and authenticity.

Turning his own bedroom into a studio,  he carefully crafted the EP with production from Boi-1da and BrandUn DeShay and features from Nathaniel and Bishop Nehru. Available on iTunes  December 2, that same day Astro will debut “Champion” the first video from the project, on BET’s 106 & Park.

number of years ago, a young Brian Bradley stepped onto The X Factor USA stage and threw an attitude-laced fast ball directly at the head of a stunned Simon Cowell, effectively creating the tense mood for his original rap, “Stop Looking At My Mom.” The risky move hit pay dirt as the crowd rose to its feet cheering and the esteemed host responded by saying, “You are arrogant, obnoxious, argumentative... but you are one of the most talented young people I’ve heard in a long, long time.”

Now, going by the name Astro [Photo: Ben Miller], this youth has proven that he definitely has that enviable “X Factor.” And he has it in excess! The talent is not only a respected songwriter and rapper, but he’s finding fame in television and film, as well. Astro is currently starring as Dash Hosney on FOX’s latest hit series, “Red Band Society.” He also recently appeared alongside Liam Neeson in the tense film “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” and this past summer, he starred in Disney’s “Earth to Echo.”

But despite all that he has achieved, Astro maintains a firm grip on who he is and the roles his two endeavors play in his life. In an interview with AXS.com, Astro stated, “I always say music is life and acting is a job... you need a job to live, but you have love for both things.”

On Tuesday, December 2, Astro will release his EP entitled, Computer Era. Long recognized for his sophisticated style and lyrical mastery, this latest release comes as a highly anticipated work. When asked where his mature, refined tastes came from, he responded, “I think they came from my mom... and she didn’t even do it on purpose. When I was growing up, my mom was playing Celine Dion, James Ingram, Monica, Brandy... and all that music kind of influenced me without me even knowing it. She played it so much that I hated it. It was boring because it was just older music to me. But now, that’s exactly what I listen to, I’m heavily influenced by that era of music. There’s just something about that music that is realer than today and there’s nothing that will touch that golden era.”

“Rap wasn’t played in my household, but it was always there,” he pointed out. “When I was a baby, it was the last days of cassette tapes, so I remember cassette tapes just laying around the house. When I was 5 years old, my favorite song was ‘Gimme The Loot’ from Biggie and I didn’t even know what the hell he was talking about, the groove is what caught me!”

Currently, Astro listens to artists like Jay-Z, Biggie, Tupac, and Nas. “I only like to listen to the legends because I know if you listen to something long enough, you end up being reminiscent of it,” he noted. “And I’d rather be reminiscent of something classy than something modern that’s not really hitting and not really touching the soul like the older stuff did. So just the OGs are pretty much all I listen to... old school rap and jazz, those are my main influences.”

When Astro writes, he works with tracks that various producers have sent him. “When I get a beat, I listen back to it a few times and figure out a flow that’s groovy, then I just write to it,” he outlined. “I write something that sounds simple, but is actually complex. Certain rappers say things that are too far over people’s heads to the point where people don’t really get it, so I try to make sure that what I write is not too crazy... but at the same time I don’t want it to be too simple, either.”

A few months ago, Astro released the soulful, easy-chill, single entitled “88.” When asked if that was reflective of the kind of music we could expect on the Computer Era EP, he replied, “‘88’ was just an appetizer. The EP sounds more like an album, but I don’t call it an album because I didn’t record it with that state of mind. There are so many good records on it... One thing a lot of artists from New York do is we always think it’s just about being on a lyrical tip, so much so that we don’t make good records. But with the EP, I’m combining lyrics that make sense, lyrics that will have people saying, ‘Yo, he’s nice as an MC!’ but at the same time it’s a record that could be played anywhere in any part of the world. My main focus with this EP was on creating records and I think I've done that. I’ve got a few joints on there that I know people are going to really mess with.”

Astro is a very serious and determined young artist. However, as tenacious as he is about succeeding, in closing, he admitted his approach to this EP was a little different than his previous attempts. “I’m sitting back a little bit and letting people do their jobs,” he stated. “I have a good idea of who I am and what I sound like, but I’m starting to realize that my job is just to create the music. I’ve become a little less stubborn in my ways because I’m older now. I’ve failed before and I know exactly where I went wrong... And where I went wrong was in not letting people do their jobs. So that’s what I’m on right now, letting everybody else do their jobs while I just focus on the music.”

Astro’s new website (gradeatribe.com) will be launching on December 2 in conjunction with his clothing line and album release. However, you can pre-order Computer Era on iTunes starting today. For more in formation on Astro, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.