Eyeris: Getting Ready for the Spotlight

Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 01, 2008 | 0 Comments

Having been bouncing around the world most of your adult life, what are your favorite scenes for hip hop?  What are the common threads that you think makes a scene work and thrive?

Eyeris: Every scene that I’ve been in has its own dope flavor…but I’d have to say New York.  At first I was like “where is the hip hop scene at?” But then I realized that there’s so many different scenes with their own styles.  Everything from the spoken word, to very underground, to the party scene.  It’s amazing to see so many young artists/friends around me coming up, it’s such a great feeling. The second part is kind of tough. There definitely has to be support not only from fans but between the artists.  Other than that: strong work ethic, constant flow of different types of events, and organization.  Talent is already a given. 

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from doing tours and international gigs?

Eyeris: My biggest lesson was that I have to be completely real with everyone, from fans to other artists.  When you aren’t real about who you are, it’s almost like it outshines the art that you’re making.  Most may not agree with me but I believe that if you’re making music as self expression but can’t be real with yourself and/or others, then what from your music am I supposed to feel?  Being away from home really allows you to learn not only about yourself but others around you. 

But on a lighter note, I learned that all of the hard work and grinding will eventually be very rewarding. The love for hip hop in Europe is so amazing.  We had an all female stage at Hip Hop Kemp in Czech Republic, it is basically like Woodstock for hip hop with about 20,000 in attendance.  We wouldn’t have been able to do that festival in the states.  We had everyone from Roxanne Shante to Bahamadia, Apani B Fly, Invincible, DJ Shortee, Stacy Epps, Eternia, Yarah Bravo, and more.  The support we got over there was so unreal. I was like, “okay, I remember now why I’ve been busting my ass and why I’m gonna continue doin so.”

When was the turning point for you, when you realized you wanted to do this professionally?  Did you get organized right away or has it been a more gradual, trial and error kinda process?

Eyeris: I’ve been rapping ever since I was probably like 7 or 8.  But growing up in the suburbs I was always told I couldn’t do it and got made fun of.  When I moved to Portland at 15 I started dabbling in the scene there and did my first demo when I was 17.  But I didn’t really start stepping everything up til I was 18-19 and moved to New York.  I met Yarah Bravo out there and from day one she has always believed in me and been pushing me.  It has definitely been gradual; started with just writing, to recording, to doing shows, now I’ve been focusing more on the marketing side of things. I dropped my mixtape “Tha Carter .5” last summer for the trial and error reason.  I put mad different styles on there to see what people were feeling and just been working from those ideas.  People think being an emcee is so easy but there’s so much work in it that they don’t see.  This is definitely just the beginning. 

You made a damn strong impression on the folks who caught you at SXSW.  What advice do you have for up-and-coming cats who are looking to do the same in 2010?

Eyeris: Thank you! At SXSW you really have to put any insecurities or fears aside and just believe in yourself 110%.  I was lucky enough to have Miz Metro, a singer from NYC, perform with me and our chemistry was crazy!  Music is about self expression and when people see your passion coming out in live performance it really touches them. Interacting with the crowd in every way possible is important because it makes the showcase entertaining for everyone.  The most important thing though is to have fun and enjoy yourself.  So a few drinks definitely won’t hurt, ha ha.

What’s your favorite technology for staying organized?  What kind of tech would you like to see in the future, to make your life easier?

Eyeris: Honestly right now, a NOTEBOOK!!! It sounds so corny, but I’ve had the worst luck with laptops and phones.  I’ve gone through about 4 Blackberries; one recently just died on me for no reason, and I lost all my contacts.  Luckily, I had written down everyone’s info around January, but that’s still over 3 months of contacts I lost.  My MacBook also crashed on me around September.. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE technology.  I can’t leave my house without my Blackberry, so tech wise I’d have to say that. But writing everything down works best for me. 

In terms of online promotion…what DOESN’T work?  What mistakes or wasted efforts have you eliminated in the past 2 years?

Eyeris: I’ve been pretty good with seeing mistakes other people have made and not doing the same.  But one of my biggest mistakes I think was whenever I’d record new stuff I would put it up on Myspace right away.  I’d have like, 2-3 new tracks up instead of putting one and making people eager to hear more.  I’ve definitely learned from that.  You have to keep people thirsty for more.

You’ve been outspoken about preferring a party show to an actual club gig-is that a business move or just a matter of where you’d rather be?

Eyeris: I’ve just started preferring that and definitely will be doing both this summer.  I’ve rocked different shows from very large festivals to smaller shows; its like comparing apples to oranges.  I’ve realized with parties it is a lot more intimate and the energy is crazy.  In New York we have this whole party scene of our generation of artists, DJs, writers, designers, etc and I feel that the best way to connect with my people is going to be that outlet.  We’re in a recession, people are on unemployment and not everybody has money to go see a show.  I’m not bashing club gigs by any means, I love doing those shows… But I want to connect with my people as much as possible.

Learn More, Read More, and Bump Some Tunes

Great example of humble + hustle, when I asked Eyeris what she wanted to push, she chose a group project: the Hip Hop Howl mixtape, featuring some of the best indie hip hop from the last SXSW festival.  (Needless to day, the lineup is pretty damn impressive.) You can get more tracks and get connected with Eyeris on the Myspace.