Ericc Antonio’s witty lyrical concepts brings a variety of flow patterns that will keep any ongoer guessing what’s next. From a head bobbing blues inflected track in “Eye Gotcha” to the guitar laced trap and soul funk song in “Round and Round“… Each song carries a modern day bounce along with others that take on hard topics of police brutality and post traumatic stress disorder combined with catchy hooks, bridges and melodies adapted for today’s culture. 

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Ericc about the latest music, surviving the lock downs, technology and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?

I am from Oakland, CA but I reside in Los Angeles.

My music is more conscious mixed with street culture, melodic hooks and word play over trap, rock, and blues influenced tracks that provide heavy bass and 808 for that modern day vibe.

How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?

I have been doing music for years mostly failing to be relevant. It took some time for me to create my own sound separate from everyone else. I decided to embark on this journey because I felt that I had something to say that could make a difference in someone’s life.

How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?

This is my 1st release, and in my mind, it was go big or go home.

I carefully constructed this album from top to bottom creating songs that would complement each other while painting a picture of who I am.

I use many styles on this project to show my writing and composing capabilities which can easily cross genres while still keeping its hip hop roots. What I was looking to accomplish is to create my own sound while displaying lyrics, melodies, bridges, and catchy hooks to capture each listeners attention.

Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?

My biggest challenge as an independent artist is trying to get your music to the masses. After recording mixes and mastering comes the hard part which is getting it in front of people. With so much music on the internet it makes it difficult to cut through. It’s a process of just continuing to chip away using all the vehicles available to get heard. This time was definitely unprecedented which I had a lot of time on my hands. I was able to use that time to write and record in my home and send it out to be mixed and mastered. It was the perfect time to touch on some the issues that our communities were going through.

What was the last song you listened to?

Recently the last song I listened to was Gunna: livin wild, Roddy Ricch: moved to Miami (feat lil baby)

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?

Streaming definitely.  

People can hear your music with a subscription meaning they don’t have to buy it -they can listen to millions of songs just paying $9 a month. It gives independent artist an opportunity to be discovered and heard.

Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?

For me Instagram and YouTube.

Instagram: ericc_antonio_

Youtube: https://youtu.be/_pCMmj5_ypQ

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ericcantonio/pardon-my-presence-3

Anything else before we sign off?

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to describe my journey and this album.