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
Video:
At a time when new albums can quickly fade from memory, Erk Tha Jerk continues to release new singles and videos from his debut album, Nerd's Eye View, released this past November – and for good reason. His most recent video for the single "Ha Ha" is in the process of making its way to a TV screen near you, with adds at MTV Jams and mtvU. Another recent single, "Hands Up," continues to receive major spins on Bay Area powerhouse radio station KMEL 106, with plans for a national push at radio and a video in the works. And while Erk remains busy putting the finishing touches on a new mixtape that he plans to release this March, today he's releasing the video for the latest single from Nerd's Eye View, "Reach The Top."
Co-directing and producing the video with Clay & Magz Films, the Richmond, California native provides a visual into the neighborhood that shaped him. "I wanted to capture the places where I grew up and show them as art," says Erk, with the video cutting between scenes of his own performance shots, sitting on a stoop, with old pictures and neighborhood acquaintances. "I made sure to include pictures of my mother, father, my kids and old friends," he adds. With lyrics providing a detailed description of his life and growing up as a kid, the video provides the perfect visual to coincide with the lyrics. "Sometimes it's hard to be a 'rapper' and not be portrayed a certain way," says Erk. "I wanted to show people who I am."
Watch the video for "Reach The Top" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAfitcYW3Yc
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. |
