Erick The Architect’s Debut Solo Project Future Proof Out Today
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “I CAN’T LOSE” HERE
Erick the Architect - founding member/primary producer of Flatbush Zombies - today releases his official debut project as a solo artist: Future Proof. He’s shared a new video for lead-off track “I Can’t Lose,” hosted a listening party last night on his Twitch channel, shared a surprise non-album track “Skinny Ramen Freestyle'' earlier this week, and spoke with Brooklyn Vegan about what “future proof” means. Brooklyn Vegan describes the EP as "powerful songs that stand tall next to Flatbush Zombies' catalog.”
Watch the visualizer for “I Can’t Lose” here: https://youtu.be/hOGtguBwbkw
Inspired by the catastrophic events of 2020, Future Proof was written entirely by Erick and produced by Linden Jay of FARR. Lyrically Erick is at his peak, each track delivering an earful of gems that are introspective and universal. “WTF” featuring Col3trane and “Selfish” featuring Pip Millett explore the systemic injustice and racism that plagued the country in 2020, while “I Can’t Lose” and “Die 4 U” featuring Sophie Faith and Linden Jay are testimonies in never giving up on your dreams and believing in yourself. Lead single ““Let It Go” ft. Loyle Carner and FARR extends that idea by capturing the internal battle of guilt and doubt you experience while pursuing a dream.
Future Proof is more than just a catchy title, it’s a roadmap to better handle the inevitable challenges that lie ahead. Some of Erick's ideas: mental and emotional self-improvement, owning creative copyright of your material, eating properly and dieting, learning a new skill and environmental consciousness are steps that anyone can follow that will result in a more secure future. These ideas will be explored in depth on February 22nd, at the day long virtual Future Proof Fest, a live streamed program with friends, artists, performances, sessions and much more. It’s about music, creativity and positivity, featuring some of the music and creative industries most interesting names to a live audience on Twitch. More details to come.
“Our world is changing faster than ever and I would hope that we take a second to think about how we can better ourselves emotionally, financially, socially, and mentally,” says Erick. “There is always more to learn and I don't think now is the time to deprive ourselves of information.”
Erick the Architect’s ability to observe and condense human interaction and emotion has positioned him as a celebrated artist and a sought-after collaborator. As his name implies, he’s a builder, and has worked with over 50 different artists including RZA, Denzel Curry and Portugal. The Man. He is working on forthcoming projects with both longtime and new collaborative partners - Joey Bada$$ and James Blake respectively. Erick also produced on the just-released James Blake Before EP.
As a founding member and primary producer of Flatbush Zombies, Erick has accomplished some incredible feats including 871 million streams across all platforms. Flatbush Zombies’ 1st and 2nd LPs debuted at #10 and 11 on the Billboard 200, respectively, and they have played some of the world’s most prestigious festivals including Coachella and Lollapalooza. With supergroup Beast Coast, Erick has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Erick also has an exclusive Twitch partnership that streams Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week. “Architect’s Corner” are late night live streams (4 million cumulative streams) that started during the Covid-19 shutdown and offer an unadorned look into Erick’s mind.
Future Proof Tracklist:
I Can't Lose
WTF ft. Col3trane
Let It Go ft. Loyle Carner & FARR
Die 4 U ft. Sophie Faith & Linden Jay
Selfish ft. Pip Millett
Follow Erick the Architect
Instagram: @erickarcelliott
Twitter: @erickarcelliott
Facebook: @erickarcelliotts