Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Wilson.
Hi Eric, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
The music bug is in the genes. Most of my family were musicians. I’ve been playing music since I was around 4 years old, so it was natural for me to aspire to be in the industry. The summer of 1985 is when I started rapping. My older cousin Lee came to me that summer before I started 7th grade and asked me if I would like to start a rap group and write raps. I tried it, liked it, and have been rapping and producing myself and others since that day. When I started 7th grade, I won every rap battle competition during the entire school year. That’s when I knew I had a natural talent for rapping and freestyling. After graduating from high school in 1991, I joined the Army and got even better after buying recording equipment stationed in South Korea. My roommate and I would spend the entire tour in S. Korea, writing and recording songs in the barracks. When I left the military in 1995, I reunited with my childhood friends and started a rap group called “Bar Nun.” We eventually signed with Flesh N Bone Inc., a record label owned by Flesh N Bone of Bone Thugs N Harmony. Since that first deal, I’ve produced artists and released my own projects.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It could have been a smoother road. While working as an engineer/producer at a big recording studio in Cleveland, Ohio, I was cheated out of thousands of dollars and many opportunities. The deal with Flesh N Bone ended because he was convicted of a crime and spent about a decade in prison. Friends and associates used my name to enter industry6 doors while leaving me behind. Music was stolen and manipulated and then re-used on mainstream artists’ projects. My name and likeness were used to promote a Grammy-award-winning artist on a popular streaming platform. And there are so many other instances of bad things happening.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the owner of Scratchpaper Productions. I am an emcee/rapper, beatmaker/producer, and audio engineer. I mainly produce and create hip-hop records and am known as a freestyle champion and beatmaker. I am proud of sticking to it after all these years while teaching and inspiring others. I went to college and got a degree in Recording Arts and Technology. I’m proud of starting a program at the college where I graduated that helps new students stay in school. I started an annual Hip Hop Homecoming at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, and I have been hosting it every year since the Fall of 2014. I went to school and obtained a certificate in Advanced Video Editing. I then went to Cleveland State University, majoring in Film, Media, and Television. I’ve been writing scripts and acting ever since. What sets me apart from other Hip Hop artists is that I specialize in rapping and making beats on a high level. This keeps me pertinent, and my services are continuously needed.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is watching different family members play instruments.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instragram.com/ericwilsonbeatz
- Facebook: facebook.com/scratchpaperproductions
- Twitter: twitter.com/ericwilsonbeatz
- Youtube: youtube.com/ericwilsonsp
