Interview: Eric Roberson (In Person)Meeting Eric Roberson at Camden's, The Holiday Inn, was more than cool. Yet, with all his independent success and talent recognition, Eric Roberson or commonly known as Erro, showed no signs of ignorance. Instead he was intelligent, graceful, friendly and honest.
01. Matthew – How would you describe your music?
. Eric Roberson - I would describe my music as none compromising in what I feel at that time. Its complete art, meaning: some people may like it, some people may not. I'm satisfied in just giving my all and hopefully finding the people that enjoyed it. I call it 'honest music', and that kind of ranges from, not only the process of how its recorded but also the stories and where they came from, if you were telling me something that might have happened in your life or what you’re going through right now. It may show up on a pad or on a microphone.
02. Matthew - You are going to soon be releasing your new album, ‘Left’, please talk to me about that?
. Eric Roberson - Really, the fact that we have a new album out called 'Left', its still not out yet, but we are finishing it and mixing it, so were almost complete. It’s like my baby baby.
03. Matthew – Is there anything you’d like to accomplish that you didn’t manage to, with your previous releases via ‘Left’?
. Eric Roberson - It’s the record that we want to take to the next level. People kept asking me so many questions. We have so much music; we have our own label (Blue Erro Soul) and everything like that. I had some other songs that I really cared about but didn’t' have a plan on releasing any so it really was an appetizer. It was supposed to be like chicken fingers and spin age, or something like that, something to warm people up for the main course. So we were able to do things that were looked at as, what I'd put on a main album. Especially, the freestyle I did with Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry.
04. Matthew – I love the song you recorded with Floetry member Marsha Ambrosius, ‘N2U’. How was it to collaborate with her?
. Eric Roberson - Oh thank-you. I mean, it was fun; we wanted to show some other sides. I wanted to release some other stuff, 'The Moon’; I recorded when I was nineteen, which was thirteen years ago. I just was really trying' to show people more. Marsha, she's an amazing vocalist, an amazing songwriter and a beautiful person; you know. Very easy, I call her my musical twin, so I'd love to work with her more. It's actually very easy because she challenges me as well as I feel I challenge her but we also love music, so we have a lot of fun. I look forward to building with her, if she so willingly has me.
05. Matthew – Would you ever do an album with Marsha?
. Eric Roberson - Yeah, I think it would be great. I think it will be tricky, because of course she is quite busy and I'm quite busy; so the main thing is if we have the time and dedication to stop and do it, we would but I think she's doing a solo record, with Dr. Dre. So I think it would be something special if we did it and it would be something different as well.
06. Matthew – Do you have any music industry views you’d like to share with me?
. Eric Roberson - Your tape will pop with all the stuff I have to say (laughs) and you know really, I think it's something that is in bad shape right now. The majors, with how nothing is really balanced anymore and everything are based on fitting into certain demographics, a younger demographic. Were neglecting a lot of other music forms.
07. Matthew - Do you think it’s safer to go independent than major?
. Eric Roberson - It's actually quite funny what is happening, because there starving the other people out, so there having to find the meaning of making the music, or having there music. So were at a big crossroads, right now because independently you have more opportunities to do more than you've ever done before. Some people are realizing that the major's are not always the right way to go for everybody. I would never talk somebody out of doing a deal with the majors but I would tell something that, that's not the only way to go. Obviously, I'm not going that way, I'm very content and happy with my life and were my music is at, and how it's rewarding me, I'm a fan of balance that everything musically, should exist but it should all co-exist. Just because one record sells five million, and the other sells five thousand copies, doesn’t mean the other one shouldn't get any attention. Or that it can't sell copies, so that's the interesting part.
08. Matthew – You also did another great collaboration with Raheem DeVaughan, and V, on ‘For Da Love Of Da Game’. Please explain that situation?
. Eric Roberson - The song initially was a DJ Jazzy Jeff record, a rap song. Were just a remix of that version DJ Jazzy Jeff had the idea of having a singing version because it's another part of what we can talk about. At the end of the day I'm still an MC, I may not rhyme but I can sing and rhyme. I rhyme sing. I live my words, you know, words are my life. We love what we do and where addicted to the game of it. It's interesting because we wrote our verse separately, I wasn't in the studio when Raheem DeVaughn and V did their vocals, and I was the last one to get on. I walked in the studio and was like very intimidated. (Laughs), so I was like wow! But you know, there cool. I have known Raheem for a long time and V for even longer. The three-headed duo is what I call it because all two of those guys are extremely talented as well.
09. Matthew – Also, what is the whole ‘Blue Erro Soul’ thing about? Is this your own company?
. Eric Roberson - Yeah, that's the label that we set up to release my own records. We are on albums, and soon a live DVD/CD, called 'Erro Live: Volume DC'. We shot five shows in Washington DC, and put them all together. We have two hours of live footage of the show and like behind the scenes footage. It's the fourth record on 'Blue Erro Soul', and really I'm the genie pig, were in the hopes that in the future we can put out other records, you know, by other artists but right now we have to figure out how to do this independent thing. My father who's now retired heads off all the shipping/distribution. Through the people who buy online or at the stores, Elsa Lathan who you spoke with is my publicist. I also have Andre Walk who helps me with assistance, so it's slowly building, you know, I'm really really proud of what we've accomplished.
10. Matthew – Who were your first musical influences and which musical genres influence you the most?
. Eric Roberson - The funny thing is, is hip hop, soul and R&B almost defined my influence because there is a gospel group named the Commissions, and I think I heard them when I was like thirteen years old and they were a major influence on me but I've been in love with the power of words and what they can do to people. So really, it would be the Commissions, Stevie Wonder, and A Tribe Called Quest. I was born into hip-hop.
11. Matthew – Not George Bush then (laughs)…
. Eric Roberson - Oh no, I wouldn’t say George Bush (laughs). He's probably the least, my parents, the fact that my Father was a music-lover and has put so much love and energy into giving. Then my Mum is the exact same way; she is a person who, with strong conviction, left corporate America to pursue a career in fashion, like thirteen/fifteen years ago. To this day she's done that ever since, and doing quite well. So, it's not a surprise that I would venture off and do music. Ya'nameen? They like go for it! (Laughs), they loved, embraced, and encouraged me to sing when I was broke performing in front of three people, they still loved it and they do right now, instead, I'm performing in front of hundreds of people.
12. Matthew – And which songs do you enjoy singing the most by your favorite artists?
. Eric Roberson - 'Love Isn't Love' by the Commissions. I've sung that song more than I've sung that song more than I've sung any other song in the entire world. I probably sung that song in the show for about ten years, it was my daily ritual, Lather up, and sings 'Love Isn't Love', I like to sing 'Little Boy' by Omar. That song as a man touched me on re-evaluating where I was, what I was doing and how I was thinking about certain things. A lot of times I write a song but I can't take full credit for it because it comes from a high power.
13. Matthew – What do you to that makes you relax or at ease?
. Eric Roberson - I'm a Libra, I believe in balance but I'll say singing and song writing first and foremost. When I was in College I was doing a lot of beats but I also noticed that you become like a, what is it? A jack of all trades but a master of none and I didn't want to become that. At one point I sopped producing and focused on song writing. That was when my song writing flourished, I was always performing, and I’d be in theatre or at church. Performing is like second nature; it's just like apart of my life. I'm just doing my part and the audience is doing there's. It's really like living and breathing. To me, if you prepare what you are performing, you got to share it.
14. Matthew – Have you ever experienced a bad show? And are you satisfied with where your career is at the moment?
. Eric Roberson - I mean, you always have bad shows; there was a point when people didn't know any of the songs. I'm so grateful to what we have achieved and accomplished.
Words by Matthew Daniel
© 2007 Feel The Soul. All Rights Reserved.
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