“I’m like hello, we got Carmello
You can’t compare ho
See me with my kinfolk
When I rock black hoodies and timbos
You started with zero, look at that man in the mirror
My vanity is insanity ragin’ like DeNiro
Ridin’ with that becky, open that third eye if you’ll let me
Open your legs up like a nestle, crunch on mars”

New York City is the birthplace of Hip Hop: we all know this, and they’re proud of that, because a lot of great acts have come out of the city: Biggie, Nas, Jay, Wu Tang, KRS-One, ans the list goes on and on. Hip Hop as we know today has been evolving to a different sound. The kids (such as myself and other late 80s/early 90s babies) that grew up listening to those artists (you could throw in Biggie & Tupac, but we were still kind of young), they came up finding their own voice, looking at life in a different perspective, but there’s always a sound that distinctively separates the generations apart. Erick Arc Elliott isn’t a name that will automatically ring a bell for people, but he’s one that could be rumbling in the conversation sooner or later.

I was put on to his music by a good friend of mine, Lauren, and she told me to check him out. I listened to his Almost Remembered album (and he has a few more projects I need to check out on that bandcamp page), and I was really digging his style. The mood is relaxed, but he still speaks from the heart about things I could relate to in my life right now (and at the time when I heard the album). I can’t really draw any comparisons to anyone right off the bat, but that’s good because he has his own style and people will surely get into him. He produces all of his work (and that includes frequent collaborations with Flatbush Zombies, which is a group you should check out if you heard that ‘Bath Salt’ track with A$AP Mob).

He’s one I’ll be listening to for a while. New York Hip Hop is changing, and the new direction is vivid and eclectic. Can’t wait to see what else they have in store, starting with Erick. So, do enjoy, and make sure to check his bandcamp page and listen to his music.

That’s My Word & It STiXX