ERoxk is an MA-based producer and artist. I Know is the first single from his upcoming third project, PAIN IS PROGRESS 3, which will be released soon. The song has some positive, vintage vibes. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
EROXK: I come from a small town in Massachusetts called Mashpee. I moved to Mashpee when I was eight from the greater Boston area and went through grades 3-12 there. Once I graduated high school, I was left with going to college as the only happening thing on my palate, but deep down I wanted something more for myself than a typical career…
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
EROXK: I first began messing around with recording on my phone in voice memos and rapping (if you want to call it that) over YouTube beats when I was 13/14…It didn’t last long, and I stopped because I was extremely self-conscious about how terrible I sounded. A few years later when I graduated high school, I downloaded GarageBand, mainly because I always knew I had an underlying passion for music but hated hearing my voice on songs so much. I fell in love with the behind-the-scenes work a producer did. So, I practiced on my phone for the first year+ to get accustomed to beatmaking, hopped into FL and attended YouTube University for a little while… and now here we are five years later.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘EROXK’?
EROXK: A nickname I’ve carried for a lot of my life is E-Rock. So, I just put my own personal twist on it and kept it familiar for people who know me. As far as influences, some of the strongest musically throughout my life would be Drake, Pierre Bourne, and Metro Boomin (just to name a few). Currently, I love the underground scene in rap (you can hear the influence in my music!) and am always chasing freshness.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
EROXK: One of the main parts about my music that should resonate, and I believe does is the relatability of what I’m saying. Talking about my own personal experiences with heartbreak, pain, riding an emotional rollercoaster, gaining and losing success, etc…People can hear my music and know they aren’t alone. Also, my versatility stands out as well because I truly believe I have evolved to a point where I can create almost any type of vibe. I would describe my sound as melodic rap, but it varies because I have songs where I’m ultra-aggressive in my delivery, and songs where I’m hitting the highest note that I possibly can.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as HIPHOP?
EROXK:
Back when I first began making beats, I looked up to a lot of artists and producers and over time, have plucked inspiration from most of them in some way, shape or form. I can’t even begin to describe how hard I tried emulating Pierre with my beats in 2018, or Drake with my first (attempts at) songs in 2014. At this point, if I hear something, I’m more than confident I can replicate the vibe and when I put my own twist on it, make it a real piece of work.
6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
EROXK:
Music is for sure a vehicle for all those things. I always have had genuine passion for what I do and I don’t care about doing it for anyone else’s agenda but my own, and if people catch on, great…I take an immense amount of pride in what I do and pour hours into this every day. I wouldn’t even call it entertainment, I would call it a lifestyle. This is why I would say I am more on the personal side and care more about the technicalities of what I am creating than how it may be perceived.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
EROXK:
Focus on your craft = Money falls into your lap – Southside
I’m big on the marathon mentality. I know what I bring to the table. When the rest of the world catches up is what will make it “different”. Sometimes it has its ups and downs, but I always say…music NEVER hurt me, music has always been there in a time of need, and music is something I could not picture myself living without. Just because I’m not where I want to be today, doesn’t mean I can’t and/or won’t be tomorrow.
8. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
EROXK:
Early in life, I was diagnosed with a rare chronic kidney condition that almost killed me before I was 7. Being that young, I missed out on a lot, including school, social activities, etc. and I sometimes feel as if that gets in my way still to this day. That was a short period of my life but at the same time, it was also a formative one. Dealing with “struggles” in music doesn’t really get to me much, because my definition of a “struggle” is something a lot lesser and comes with less pressure as a real-life scenario would, obviously. Having writer’s block, or not making enough money from streaming or selling beats wouldn’t even be an issue if I wasn’t here, and it still doesn’t even compare to having to give Mom multiple months’ rent and eating rice for dinner. My music image and that of real life are different. Up God.
9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
EROXK: I’m proud of my accomplishments every day and give myself that internal pat-on-the-back for what I do (even if nobody will do it for me). I recently graduated college this year with a strong resume and a high GPA, so I always hear the stereotypical, “What are you doing for work these days?” or the “What kind of job do you look for?” from almost everyone in my life, and when I tell them that I am trying to put my fullest efforts into this music, I get mixed responses and can tell when the energy shifts right away. It’s a lot of work every day but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. People don’t close their eyes and see my dream; I see my dream. Just because I’m currently not making a million dollars a minute off this, doesn’t mean it’ll never happen. You actually can’t persuasively tell me that it won’t. People fail to grasp and fear what they don’t understand. People (mainly my pessimistic, closed-minded, get-a-job ass family) are seemingly more worried about where I’m headed than I am. So, that is where my disconnect with these closed-minded people, and the average person is. I don’t see myself as the average worker, consumer, listener, conformist, whatever society has brainwashed the rest of y’all with, I’m not with any of it… I’m me.
10. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
EROXK: Creative private work 100%. I’m a very creative person and have molded into a completely different person over the last half decade as a result. I have always been an introvert, but a shy and reserved one. Now, I am more-so an Ambivert, (which I titled my 2021 album), which is a cross between an introverted and an extroverted personality. I still am a pretty quiet and reserved person, but I now carry myself with a voice, work ethic, sense of direction (notice how I said this instead of plan – plans never work out…), and talent, and even though I still am trying to piece it all together, I believe I’m well on my way. I would still embrace fans and a live audience when performing, but I don’t pride myself on it as much as I do being a producer with a quiet and comfortable space and the ability to freely create from behind the scenes.
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