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Bill De Blasio Talks "Afro Son," Wu Tang Clan With Hot 97


By

Lauren Evans

Published Sep 27, 2013

Modified Sep 27, 2013


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Photograph by Bill Hyers

 


By

Lauren Evans

Published Sep 27, 2013

Modified Sep 27, 2013


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Future Mayor Bill de Blasio has appeared a few times on hip-hop station Hot 97's Morning Show, from which he received a coveted endorsement undoubtedly responsible for his success. He returned earlier this week to discuss New York's most celebrated Hair, as well as his various name-changes. The discussion, which spans 13 minutes, is most notable as the moment Dante de Blasio was referred to as "Afro Son," a term that we must now embrace.

Host Peter Rosenberg: First and foremost, how's Afro Son?

De Blasio: How's what?

Rosenberg: Your son. We call him Afro Son. He's a superhero to us.

Rosenberg and co-host Ebro go on to ask about Afro Son's dating life, which de Blasio declines to discuss. He does, however, assert that Afro Son is handling his fame very well.

"You tell him—do not, I repeat, do not, try to start rapping," the host advises. "Do not hang out with rappers, do not be in rap videos—any of that. We need Dante focused."

De Blasio also reveals that his family, as a unit, is into Wu Tang Clan, a revelation that provokes delighted squeals from the hosts. He went on to expound upon his own series of name changes, which took him from Warren Wilhelm to Bill de Blasio.

"I came from a pretty broken family," he told the station. "My father was not around for much of my upbringing, and the side that really brought me up was my mom's side, the de Blasio side."

As for Warren? "I was given the formal name 'Warren' when I was born, but for reasons I still don't understand, I was never called it—I was always called Bill or Billy my whole life. It's a strange mystery in my family but that's how it happened."

When Dante legally changes his name to Afro Son, though, we'll know exactly how it happened.

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afro son

bill de blasio

dante de blasio


Lauren Evans

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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