Bucky​ ​Malone​, The Leader of Virginia’s ​New School Bucky Malone​, also known as ​Little Tokyo’​, got into music because of a serious, relatable reason. After the death of his grandmother in 2010, Malone fell into a deep depression as a teenager — something that would go on to define his early years. After spending some time looking for a way out, he decided to start recording music and use it as his outlet to grieve and recover. It led to the release of his “L.I.F.E.” project that spurred him to continue telling his story — partly because of how cathartic it felt to get everything on wax, but also because of the reception from his growing local audience. Through steadily building with each release, Malone found himself reaching massive new heights early on and he kept things rolling by hitting fans over the head with a multitude of releases. His success led to him opening up for ​Juicy J​ in 2013 at Norfolk State University and he also performed at fashion designer ​40 Oz Van​’s 40 Oz Bounce in Virginia Beach on two occasions. Additionally, he’s collaborated with the popular urban showcase ​Traptastic​ and has opened up for a multitude of leading rap acts such as ​Goldlink, Key! Yung Gleesh, ​and ​A$AP Ant. Projects like ​The Pink Album ​and ​Futuristic Pimp $hit II h​ ave been the bodies of work that fans have gravitated to most in his recent years, and their successes led to him performing at the A3C music festival in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2019. Additionally, hip-hop publications such as ​The Source, ELEVATOR, Daily Chiefers, Earmilk​, ​and producer ​Boi1da​’s personal website have become avid followers of his every move, breaking his new music because of their genuine fascination with his recording process. Malone’s success can be tied to his mission in this industry. No longer is he trying to heal from trauma — now, he’s trying to have some fun. “My main objective is to bring the fun and creativity back into the art form,” he says. “I am different from other artists and I plan on remaining that way , never settling for less.” Presented by Songbyrd Music House. All ages