"Astro" Brian Bradley and fellow contestant Drew Ryniewicz were eliminated from The X Factor, determining the new Fox reality competition's Top 5 acts, during the show's fifth live results show Thursday night.
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Astro was automatically ousted from the competition after The X Factor host Steve Jones revealed the rapper was the bottom act since he had received the lowest amount of home viewer votes cast immediately following Wednesday night's Top 7 performance show. The X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, and L.A. Reid -- who was mentoring Astro along with Marcus Canty, who was also one of last night's bottom-three acts, and Chris Rene -- did not even have to vote.
During a Friday conference call with reporters, Astro talked to Reality TV World about his The X Factor experience -- including whether he thought he legitimately landed in the bottom spot this week.
Reality TV World: When you were in the bottom two but survived a few days ago, you suggested that you hadn't really been in the bottom two and that the producers were just punishing you over another incident. Now that you've been eliminated, do you still feel that way and believe you weren't legitimately in the bottom two that week or not?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I mean, I don't like to focus on the past, to be honest. It is what it is. It was the way it was. The week after that, my supporters voted me through, so I can't complain about that. I'm actually not going to speak on that. It is what it is. That's the past. That's ancient times for me.
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Reality TV World: Just focusing on the present then, do you think you were legitimately in the bottom two this week?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I wasn't even in the bottom two. I was in the bottom three and I was voted off. I don't know. I still don't understand how you can have the most followers on the show [on Twitter] and then get voted in the bottom with the least amount of votes.
They said I got the least amount of votes, so it is what it is, you know? I'm focused on positive energy and I just want to thank all my Astronauts and Team Astro again -- as long as they stick with me, I'm straight.
Also in the call, Astro told reporters what he took with him from the competition, how the show had turned him into a better rapper and whether he believed he will inspire other hip-hop artists to audition for more reality singing competition shows.
Looking back now on how you reacted the first time you landed in the bottom two and L.A. Reid said you were acting like a "quitter" and such, what would you want to say about that whole situation?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I mean, I apologized to my supporters and stuff like that, and hip-hop. I don't want to focus on the past though, to be honest. I feel like I'm humbled from it. The situation got me to be humble a lot, but I don't really want to talk about that. That's the past and that's just negative energy right now.
Have any of your idols such as Kanye West reached out to you?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: No, not yet -- not that I know of. I'm pretty sure soon they'll wake up, but not now, no.
You mentioned a girlfriend named Molly in your final words last night after you got eliminated. Could you talk a little bit more about her?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I honestly don't want to talk about it. It was corny that I did that. I don't want to talk about it, but yeah. I have a girlfriend and that's it. That's just for me to know right now.
Did you ever expect that a rap act could make it as far as you did on The X Factor?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: Yeah. I did, but it is what it is. I'm glad I made it to the Top 7.
Do you feel like the ups and downs of the competition made you a better performer and more capable of handling being in the spotlight?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: Oh, yeah, definitely yes. It definitely has. I've learned a lot from it. It humbled me. It got me mad, it got me happy, it got me sad. It was just a great experience. I wouldn't change a thing.
What do you draw your inspiration from when writing your lyrics?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I like to draw my inspiration from my surroundings. This interview right here may cause me to go home and write a song about coming really far and my music and living out my dreams. I just draw my inspiration from my surroundings, everything that I'm going through and how I feel in the moment.
What did you take away from being on The X Factor?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: I got a taste of what celebrity life would be like and it was definitely a great experience. It humbled me and I had a lot of fun here.
Could you talk about your song writing process and how you approached selecting songs each week?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: Oh yeah, I write all my own songs, you know? All my songs are based off of themes and concepts and stuff like that. Everything I did on The X Factor was basically original, especially in the live shows, except for some of the ensembles. In the Michael Jackson ensemble we had, I had to rap his lyrics to switch the flow up, but everything I did was original and I wrote from the heart.
How did you respond to people who criticized that a hip-hop artist like you didn't really belong in a singing competition? Do you think introducing a new genre played a role in your elimination and if you hadn't rapped, you might have gotten to stay longer?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: No, I don't think that's it. I think people don't really understand me for some sort of reason, but it is what it is. Like I said, I had a great time on the show and I'm here now and I'm just being positive right now.
Do you think your performances will set a precedent for hip-hop artists to go out for more reality competitions in the future?
"Astro" Brian Bradley: Yeah, I definitely think so. I hope that next year, a lot of people audition because of me. That would be awesome.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski