Critical Praise For Erk Tha Jerk:
"Nerd’s Eye View will likely be remembered as one of the definitive Bay Area albums of the post-Hyphy era... Not only is it the best debut album since Mistah F.A.B.’s Son of a Pimp, but it might just change perceptions of Bay Area rappers: namely, that they can’t make hit songs." – Oakland Local.
"On Nerd's Eye View, Erk just talks about what he knows, and in this case, it largely centers around his uncertainty over what the future holds. Erk has a gravelly voice and bouncy flow... and it's hard not to love the ravey synths, big hooks, and confessionals." - SF Weekly.
"Erk Tha Jerk is a West Coast Kid Cudi without the liquid cocaine problem." - East Bay Express.
The
Song:
In November, Erk Tha Jerk released his debut album Nerd's Eye View as part of a joint venture between SMC Recordings and his own Red Planet Music Group. Receiving acclaim from critics and love from radio, singles from the album found their way onto KISS, Power 105, KMEL 106, and more as Erk was officially named a Clear Channel "New! Artist To Watch" – all shortly after receiving a coveted Show & Prove feature in XXL Magazine. While Erk puts the finishing touches on the video for previously released single "Reach The Top" – the multi-talent directs his own videos in addition to producing many of the tracks from Nerd's Eye View – Erk has teamed up with fellow California native Jay Ant to bring fans a brand new non-album track, "Jump Out The Window." The pairing is another success for Erk as the moody bass, rolling drums, and combination of ambient and plucked synths provide the perfect backdrop for his gritty vocals, as he raps, "Who is there to compare to me, I am out of here/ Out that jungle; lions, tigers, we got a lot of bears... You can only imagine how it's got to feel/ Out that New Edition, minus the Johnny Gill."
Download "Jump Out The Window" for free here: http://erkthajerk.bandcamp.com/track/jump-out-the-window
Please post buy links for Nerd's Eye View:
iTunes Deluxe Edition:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nerds-eye-view-deluxe/id400341344
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Nerds-Eye-View-Explicit-Jerk/dp/B0044KU7HS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1289312614&sr=8-4
For more information on Erk Tha Jerk please contact Michelle or Dan at Audible Treats.
Erk Tha Jerk was recently featured in XXL Magazine's Show & Prove. Check the feature out below.
The
Background:
Debunking the stereotype of what a West Coast rapper should be is what got a very fickle hip-hop audience to initially notice Erk. His streetwear heavy fashion sense, trademark black eyeglasses and hood nerd persona all worked in his favor. Being from a “bad place” yet knowing that there are non-hood things out there is what has shaped Erk’s approach to life and music. “I went to college for a couple years, I’ve worked 9 to 5 jobs and I’ve sold weed and none of those things quite worked out so I’m kinda like a hood nerd.” His satirical anti-hyphy anthem "I'm So Dumb" and "Plane in the Air" featuring Too $hort defined him as an artist but it was 2009's "Right Here" that put him on the map. The censored version became one of 106 KMEL's (San Francisco) most played songs, charted on Billboard's Top 100 Hip Hop/R&B, and the video is currently in rotation on MTV Jams. Erk Tha Jerk's debut album, Nerd’s Eye View, is available now. |
