Anton "Eshon Burgundy" Hairston was born in Abington, Pennsylvania and grew… Read Full Bio ↴Anton "Eshon Burgundy" Hairston was born in Abington, Pennsylvania and grew up on the streets of South Philadelphia where he relocated in his preteen years. Growing up, all he heard around the house was hip-hop and rhythm and blues music which caught his artistic attention. That experience chartered him to start writing songs when he was just 9 years old.

His mother, Rochelle Hairston, coping with the ills of single parenting and trying to escape the influence that street life ends up having on young minds, led her family to live everywhere from friend's homes, shelters and finally the Passyunk Homes housing projects. It was there that Eshon, the oldest of four children, took on the leadership role in his family. Instead of playing the latest video games and getting involved in other childhood activities, he made his mother, brother's Seiffuddin and Ameer and his sister Aleema his main activity and responsibility. After his family, running errands and chasing girls, his spare time included writing rap songs with his best friend and rap partner Maik Sharp.

When Eshon was 15 years old he was shot three times right outside the Passyunk Homes housing projects while waking home. He says he had his first intimate encounter with Jesus Christ while laying on the ground, going in and out of consciousness from the gunshot wounds. Despite the fact that at this point he had no idea how this would later effect his music career (and he was still living a life that didn't reflect his encounter), thereafter he became even more aware of God's presence.

Eshon spent the next 5 years making a name for himself in Philadelphia's underground hip-hop scene. He performed at talent shows, open mic's, house parties and local events. In 1999 he signed a record deal with a city-known drug dealer and childhood friend, and again with another big time drug dealer the following year. Because of Eshon's Godly convictions neither venture ever progressed into anything.

In 2001 Eshon was introduced to the Lord more deeply when he met a pastor who gave him God's Word in a way that he hadn't known. He joined that pastor's church and began serving immediately. At this time he saw fit to start the group Society Park with fellow believers Larry "Who I Am" Dixon and Cobbina "Chances R" Frempong. While working on their album the group was invited to perform with Jazmine Sullivan in London, England alongside some of the United Kingdom's brightest stars like Andrew Roachford. "Freedom's Journal," Society Parks first and only album, was released in 2002.

From 2002 to 2006 Eshon continued to broaden his musical experience by performing at numerous events in places like Canada, Detroit, Miami, California, New York, Chicago, and New Jersey; and even shared the stage with well known artists including Mos Def, Common, Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, Roy Ayers and Pharoah Monch. He also toured with the guerrilla theater team Salt World, where he spent months using rap to spread the love of God on the street corners of Philadelphia's most drug infested neighborhoods. In that same year Eshon was introduced to Jazzy Jeff (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) by long-time acquaintance Black Ice (Def Poetry Jam), who featured the two on the song "Run That Back" which appeared on Jeff's "The Return of the Magnificent" (BBE Records).

After years of dabbling in both secular and holy hip hop, Eshon finally decided to focus his message solely on the saving grace of God through Christ, but still for the streets. He's poured out his message in mixtapes like "The Fire Escape," "Cleaning Out My Closet," "Blood Bought" and "The Fire Escape Reissued" between 2007 and 2010. Along the way he discovered his graphic design and film making abilities and founded GoodLook Multimedia, providing design and video services to other artists and clients.

Eshon currently resides in Florida with his wife Tandeace and two daughters Harlem Promise and Evyr Anadai, working on his first album to be released in 2011.