Astro explained, “What I do, I do for the love of Hip-Hop and my fans, and I would never doing anything to hurt either. But please try to understand where my head was last night. Muhammed Ali was hated by America when he didn't enter the draft. What people didn't know was that he would have entered if the recruiter would have addressed him by his new name. I believed I was being mistreated, and in the moment I thought about Ali's moment.” However, Muhammad Ali refused to go to war with Vietnam due to his religious beliefs, stating "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... No Viet Cong ever called me ******", which is extremely different to a singing competition.

 

He added, “I want to be the new ambassador for Hip-Hop and a leader of a new young movement of positive kids, but to be that I must have Integrity and Honor first! People are saying I'm "cocky" and "arrogant", well maybe I have watched too many Muhammed Ali films or maybe I grew up having to fight my way home everyday or battle on street corners of Brooklyn for respect. My guards are always up, and maybe I took the situation too heavy.”

 

Astro concluded, “I seriously apologize to my fans, what I said and my emotions weren't directed toward you. I'm 15 and I think I know everything, but the truth is, I don't, and I handled the situation wrong! Win or lose next week, I will make you all proud.” Do you think The X Factor USA judges were right to save Astro? Do you think Astro is right to compare his situation to Muhammad Ali?