A-rif

Steven Mashaka was a senior at McNeil High School in Austin Texas when he began making lo-fi beats on his computer. He adopted the name A-rif (taken from his middle name "arif") and before long he had written and recorded lyrics and packaged it up in a homemade demo that was passed out among friends. He purchased an mpc500 and some recording equipment and began work on a new higher quality album. At this time he joined up with a few friends, calling themselves The Lit Match Clik. In the spring of 2011, A-rif finished his second homemade album "Cloaked In Patterns (Who Cares?)". A-rif's unique sound can be described as psychedelic hip hop. A-rif draws influence from countless musicians spanning all genres, most notable 60's psychedelic music and alternative hip hop acts such as El-P, Dan the Automator, and OFWGKTA. Simply put, A-rif is about experimentation and fun.