Eric Sosa: Artist, Musician, and Father

 Eric SOsa: Artist, Musician, and Father

Artist, musician, and father, in essence, are words to describe Eric Sosa. Coming out of Hollis, Queens, New York, the young emcee is nothing short of an individual. A debut album in the works and the opportunity to go anywhere with his music allows for the artist to be an artist. With songs that reflect on things that were experienced, as opposed to what is fabricated, the opportunity to relate to Eric Sosa is forever present.

No sob stories from Eric Sosa. It separates him from the typical idea of an emcee. Eric Sosa grew up with a fairly fortunate lifestyle. Growing up with both parents was indeed a separation as he didn’t know many people in the neighborhood growing up with both parents. His mother was the mother that cooked for the entire block. There was a nice house. There wasn’t much to complain about.

Photography by S Q Munro

Nonetheless, Eric Sosa is the emcee and the man. Eric Sosa defines himself with more than a Hip-Hop emcee in mind, however. “I only say artist so people don’t be afraid when I like to go left,” said Eric Sosa. “Eric is the real man and Sosa is the alter ego. I try to meet in the middle when it comes to recording records. Sosa is arrogant. Sosa is that ‘can’t nobody fuck with me’; the greatest; the best, while Eric is the humble, quiet dude, that don’t like talking and stay by himself.”

There was an evolution of character when the feeling for greater expression was found. The childhood drummer found himself teaching others that were nearly twice his elder. This was note of his musical advancement. The lead snare at the age of eight; the little drummer boy was efficient with his craft. However, there is limitation with being a percussionist. “The only emotions that you could express with being a percussionist are anger, happiness, and excitement,” said Eric Sosa.

Photography by S Q Munro

The mastering of those rudiments and drum patterns in the past opened up a door for Hip-Hop. There was a point where Eric Sosa had to find what it was as an artist that represented him the most. Following some time off, the sight of the brand behind the artists became imminent. “Why not take the percussionist I used to be, and flip that? If you notice the logo, it’s kind of like ‘him’ leaving the drums, the drum sticks in the past and kind of walking forward with the drum sticks behind him. That transpired into writing,” said Eric Sosa. “I was like ‘yo I need to find another way’. I bumped into this thing called Hip-Hop. I started writing and we’re here now.”

As an artist, one must find ways to create music and assure the listeners that it is good music. Artist have minds and voices with reason and some people may question the creativity. Eric Sosa invites an ideal that opens up to all forms and genres. “I’ve gone past the whole ‘you can’t use auto-tune, you can’t say this, or that’s whack he said that’. Like dog, he’s the artist. If he’s the one writing this shit, let him do what he wants to do, because at the end of the day, Hip-Hop grew from just sampling shit and trying to rap on a beat to business men,” said Eric Sosa. “Now with the business mind state that we’re being trained to be in as emcees, due to the lack of money in the art form itself, you have to find ways to venture to remain above water. In order to do that, they understand this and they’re like ‘I need a club banger or my shit isn’t going to sell’. Now if your whole album is like that, that’s a problem. If you have 14 tracks and they’re all for the club, I can’t…you’re not in the club 24/7. That’s not believable.” Growth comes with that ideology as the man and the artist. An artist must be believable.

Photography by S Q Munro

“You can go but so far trying to hide or front. I try to keep it 100 in all I do. I used to rap about guns and drugs, but I don’t anymore, because I’m not around it as much. I’m a father now. I have a 3 year old daughter. I used to be disrespectful towards women, now I’m a gentleman. I want my daughter to be treated the same way,” said Eric Sosa. “I grew as a person; a human being. It had nothing to do with the art. I grew as a human being and I put that into my music.”