Fantasy A Explained

Fantasy A
Birth Name:Alexander Leroy Hubbard
Birth Date:23 May 1993
Birth Place:Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Years Active:2014–present
Module:
Embed:yes
Origin:Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Instrument:Vocals

Alexander Leroy Hubbard (born May 23, 1993), better known by his stage name Fantasy A, is an American rapper from Seattle, Washington working in the hip hop genre, as well as a songwriter, actor, and author. He is best known for his extensive guerrilla marketing and performance in the film Fantasy A Gets a Mattress.

Early life

Fantasy A was born in Seattle, Washington, where he was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.[1] He attended Thurgood Marshall Elementary as well as Cleveland High School (Seattle) before graduating from The Center School (Seattle, Washington) in 2011. While in high school he gained an interest in literature and wrote three books later published as School Rich (2012), Life in the Eyes of an Autistic Person (2012), and Life in the World of Gabe Fabens and Sage the Scholar (2013).

Career

In the mid-2010s Fantasy A began to gain notice in the Seattle area for his guerrilla promotional campaigns where he would cover every neighborhood in posters for his books and music.[2] The campaigns were so extensive that it was covered by both The Stranger (newspaper) and the Seattle Weekly.[3] [4] [5] In 2017 Fantasy A starred in the short film Fantasy A Gets Jacked,[6] which marked the start of his work in film.[7] In 2019 he became a reoccurring guest on KJR-FM's The Wake Up Show where he reviewed movies.

In 2023 Fantasy A starred in the feature film Fantasy A Gets a Mattress, based loosely on his life and sections of his memoir.[8] [9] The film gained a cult following, winning Best Narrative Feature at the Seattle Black Film Festival before going on to a sell out a twenty-screening-long run at The Beacon Cinema. The film continued to sell out screenings at festivals and indie cinemas[10] [11] [12] —three times at Grand Illusion Cinema, three times at Central Cinema, at the Seattle International Film Festival Film Center during Northwest Folklife Festival, at the opening night screening at Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Festival, and at the opening night screenings at the Tacoma Film Festival.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17] The film also opened the Silent City Film Festival in Ithaca, New York and won Best Narrative Feature at Local Sightings Film Festival, Best PNW Narrative Feature at the Tacoma Film Festival, as well as Best Comedic Feature at the Silent City Film Festival.

Discography

Albums
Singles

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef(s)
2017Fantasy A Gets JackedHimselfShort
2023Fantasy A Gets a MattressHimself[18]

External links

References

Citations

Notes and References

  1. News: MyNorthwest Staff . January 30, 2017 . Autistic Seattle musician explains how he remains optimistic . MyNorthwest.com . September 26, 2023 . https://archive.today/20240501091232/https://mynorthwest.com/529566/autistic-seattle-hip-hop-artist/ . May 1, 2024 . en.
  2. News: Who Is Fantasy A, Really? Get To Know Seattle's Favorite Niche Celebrity . Savannah . Helming . May 15, 2024 . The Seattle Medium . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240517204957/https://seattlemedium.com/who-is-fantasy-a-really-get-to-know-seattles-favorite-niche-celebrity/#selection-1612.0-1612.3 . May 17, 2024.
  3. News: Lewis . David . Fantasy A's Strange Journey Through Seattle's Housing Crisis . https://archive.today/20230924233544/https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/fantasy-as-strange-journey-through-seattles-housing-crisis/. September 24, 2023 . . . March 8, 2017 . September 24, 2023.
  4. News: Josephes . Jason . Meet Fantasy A—the Rapper/Writer Whose Flyers Are All Over Town . https://archive.today/20230924234039/https://www.thestranger.com/music/2015/04/01/21970384/dear-mr-fantasy-ameet-alexander-hubbard-the-rapperwriter-whose-flyers-are-all-over-town . September 24, 2023 . . . April 1, 2015 . September 24, 2023.
  5. News: Keimig . Jas . 'Fantasy A Gets a Mattress' Captures the Surreality of Being an Artist in Seattle . https://archive.today/20230925001622/https://southseattleemerald.com/2023/08/14/fantasy-a-gets-a-mattress-captures-the-surreality-of-being-an-artist-in-seattle/ . September 25, 2023 . . . August 14, 2023 . September 25, 2023.
  6. News: 21st Edition of Local Sightings Features New Northwest Film Talents . Ryan . Davis . https://archive.today/20240306064443/https://patch.com/washington/seattle/21st-edition-local-sightings-features-new-nw-film-talents . March 6, 2024 . Patch . July 10, 2018 . March 6, 2024.
  7. News: Wing . Jennifer . Fantasy A's fantasy is a stable home in Seattle: Sound Effect, Episode 159.5 . https://archive.today/20230924234809/https://www.knkx.org/other-news/2019-11-30/fantasy-as-fantasy-is-a-stable-home-in-seattle-sound-effect-episode-159-5 . September 24, 2023. . . November 30, 2019 . September 24, 2023.
  8. News: Riggs . Keely . Smokestack Goes Film Festing Looking At Your Town Thru Independent Film . https://archive.today/20230926000650/https://kitsapsmokestack.org/2023/09/02/smokestack-goes-film-festing-looking-at-your-town-thru-independent-film/ . September 26, 2023 . . . September 2, 2023 . September 29, 2023.
  9. News: Wickersham . Hailee . The Tacoma Film Festival is Back . https://archive.today/20230929213627/https://www.southsoundmag.com/arts-entertainment/tacoma-film-festival-2023-lineup/article_cc81bb96-41ec-11ee-8790-97621d4a3b07.html . September 29, 2023 . . . August 23, 2023 . September 29, 2023.
  10. Web site: Janavel . A. J. . 2023-07-13 . Film about local rapper with autism living in Seattle keeps selling out shows . 2023-09-25 . FOX 13 Seattle . en-US.
  11. News: Amenn . Joan . Review: Fantasy A Gets a Mattress . https://archive.today/20230926002514/https://intheirownleague.com/2023/08/27/review-fantasy-a-gets-a-mattress/ . September 26, 2023 . . . August 27, 2023 . September 26, 2023.
  12. News: Davis . Mike . Mike's adventures in art: 'Solaris,' 'Formation,' 'Fantasy A' . https://archive.today/20230926003453/https://www.kuow.org/stories/mike-s-adventures-in-art-solaris-formation-fantasy-a . September 26, 2023 . . . June 30, 2023 . September 26, 2023.
  13. News: Davis . Mike . Denkmann . Libby . 'Fantasy A Gets a Mattress': Local low-budget movie gains momentum in Seattle . https://archive.today/20230924235151/https://www.kuow.org/stories/locally-made-low-budget-movie-gains-momentum-in-seattle. September 24, 2023 . . . September 14, 2023 . September 24, 2023.
  14. News: Hutchinson . Chase . A Seattle rapper takes center stage in 'Fantasy A Gets a Mattress' . https://archive.today/20230914140006/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/a-seattle-rapper-takes-center-stage-in-fantasy-a-gets-a-mattress/#selection-1960.0-1960.1 . September 14, 2023 . . . September 12, 2023 . September 26, 2023.
  15. News: Walker . Meghan . Ballard film producer releases feature-length movie about an autistic rapper in Seattle: 'Fantasy A Gets a Mattress' . https://archive.today/20230926000840/https://www.myballard.com/2023/08/23/ballard-film-producer-releases-feature-length-movie-about-an-autistic-rapper-in-seattle-fantasy-a-gets-a-mattress/ . September 26, 2023 . . . August 23, 2023 . September 26, 2023.
  16. News: Yussuf . Mohamud . Autistic Rapper, Six Days Sold Out Movie Screenings . https://archive.today/20230926001850/https://runtanews.com/autistic-rapper-six-days-sold-out-movie-screenings/ . September 26, 2023 . . . July 5, 2023 . September 26, 2023.
  17. News: Mesa . Natalia . A new film asks: how do you make art in a city you can't afford? . https://archive.today/20231018223945/https://www.hcn.org/articles/review-a-new-film-asks-how-do-you-make-art-in-a-city-you-cant-afford . October 18, 2023 . . . October 18, 2023 . October 18, 2023.
  18. News: September 12, 2023 . Seattle rapper's mattress search takes center stage in joyous film . Chase . Hutchinson . 2023-09-26 . The Seattle Times . en-US . https://archive.today/20230914140006/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/a-seattle-rapper-takes-center-stage-in-fantasy-a-gets-a-mattress/ . September 14, 2023.