Erick the Architect – I’ve Never Been Here Before

Musical polymath and founding member/ producer of NYC’s Flatbush Zombies, Erick the Architect, finally releases his highly anticipated solo debut album I’ve Never Been Here Before.

Today the rapper/producer/founding member of Flatbush Zombies has also shared the music video for “2-3 Zone,” which was produced by James Blake. The latest release emphasizes perseverance in pursuing your dreams, and refusing to settle for mediocrity.  Erick wrote the script and co-directed the video, which also features Blake. 

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Speaking on “2-3 Zone”, Erick states: “I’ve had dreams of accomplishing what I have now in my youth— and to be able to witness that kind of accomplishment in real time is truly a blessing. I wrote this song as a reminder to myself of the transformation I’ve experienced throughout my life. The song captures that transformative energy. Striving to obtain financial security, escaping frustration, and holding onto a hope that things will change for the better. Although I did much of this on my own, I cannot only give myself merit for the successes I’ve been able to enjoy; I’ve always been part of a team. Some coaches say that the 2-3 zone defence is the one that wins championships, allowing each person to cover a part of the court versus a man-to-man. I feel like that concept directly connected with what I wanted to say within this song, I can do more if I allow someone else to help me to achieve that goal.”

The brand new debut album consists of 16 deeply personal and powerful tracks, exploring the themes of fearlessness, Black resilience, beauty in darkness and unity over a thrilling soundtrack consisting of a mix of hip-hop, soul, dub, psych and more. Crafted in his Los Angeles home studio, Erick’s debut full length features several long-time collaborators and new friends including the likes of; Joey Bada$$, Westside Boogie, George Clinton, Channel Tres, Kimbra, Lalah Hathaway, RÜDE CÅT, Boy Boy, Pale Jay and FARR, as well as a number of producers including award-winning electronic musician James Blake. The result is a statement-making collection of razor-sharp songs from an artist set free by being his authentic self, and embracing the vulnerability that comes with it. Inspired by the likes of Picasso, Brian Eno, Stevie Wonder, Annie Leibowitz, Keith Haring, Miles Davis and Marlon Brando, Erick also states the spiritual influence of his mother’s life and passing as a key driving force behind the album.

Album highlights include “2-3 Zone,” one of the first songs made for the album during an early session with James Blake, prompting Erick to focus on writing songs and lyrics and opening himself up to working with more producers in a way that he’d never considered before. “Beef Patty” is a dancehall love letter to his Jamaican roots, whilst  “Leukemia” featuring Kimbra is a devastating break-up song — a sonic representation of the grieving and recovery process. The “Strawberry Fields”-inspired “Breaking Point” could fit on the B-side of a Funkadelic long player, while the hard-edged “Mandevillian” imagines Erick in his villain era, inspired by a Godfather binge watch.

Following his acclaimed 2021 project Future Proof EP, Erick continued to garner a huge amount of attention throughout 2022 with his debut COLORS performance and appearing in FADER’s fledgling ‘Hanging Out With’ series. Most notably, the Brooklyn favourite provided production support on rap superstar Joey Bada$$’ recent album 2000, James Blake’s GRAMMY-nominated EP Before and featured on a slew of tracks including “Overseas” by Powers Pleasant with Maxo Kream, Bas and Kenny Mason, and Col3trane’s debut album Lush Life.

2023 proved to be no different, with Erick clocking a standout feature on dance icons Jungle’s monumental track “Candle Flame” [40M+ Spotify streams], releasing his single “Parkour” alongside award-wining producer and close friend James Blake, and further appearances alongside the likes of Lord Apex, Catching Flies and Whyte Fang – Erick also made surprise appearances alongside Loyle Carner for the London legs of his UK tour, preforming their joint single “Let It Go”. Continuing momentum, Erick is set to embark on his huge 38-date international tour across America and Europe, including shows in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Zurich and Vienna amongst others.

As a founding member and primary producer of the iconic NYC rap crew Flatbush Zombies, Erick has built up over 900M streams across all platforms, with the Zombies’ 1st and 2nd albums debuting at #10 and #11 on the Billboard 200 respectively. The Zombies cultivate a huge fanbase internationally, playing some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella and Lollapalooza.

With a top-tier list of musical collaborations incl. A$AP Rocky, Tech N9ne, James Blake and Joey Bada$$ amongst others, Erick boasts performances on the biggest television stages in the US: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live with supergroup Beast Coast, with international tastemaker support across the spectrum from ROLLING STONE and COMPLEX to THE FADER and PIGEONS AND PLANES. The release of his debut album continues Erick’s innovative, expressive talent in laying new ground and working alongside some of the world’s hottest artists, together with the deeper, thought-provoking insight that cements his legacy as one of America’s standout talents in the rap landscape today.