Born in Asheville, NC and raised in several different areas of the south from Florida, to Georgia to Tennessee, I have been exposed to several different styles and use the knowledge I've gained in life to make myself unique. My name is Tony Ashford, Jr., aka joonya t. I found I had a gift and talent for music around age 11 when I wrote my first song for a talent show, which I never got to perform. I was highly influenced by Tupac, Bone-Thugz-N-Harmony, Da Brat and other rappers of the like in the mid 90's. I left writing and performing alone for about 3 years until I met friends in high school who also had a gift which brought out my true and natural talent. Being back in Asheville, NC, I decided to take writing more seriously. I recorded My first song at age 19, performed for the first time at 20. I have a genuine love for the art and that is what makes myself stand out from most of what is heard today.