catching up with erick the architect

rapper, producer and all-around creative force erick the architect is ready to reintroduce himself. a friend of ours, erick grew up in new york, where he fell in love with music long before forming the iconic psychedelic hip-hop group flatbush zombies. after more than a decade with the group, world tours and critically acclaimed albums, he's now carving out a path of his own as a solo artist.

last year, erick dropped his most ambitious and introspective body of work yet, 'i've never been here before.' the 16-track lp, both an echo of his youth and a reflection of where he's at today, was recently re-release as a director's cut. it features collaborations with artists like channel tres, george clinton and joey bada$$—figures we all know and admire.

now, erick returns to the fold with a new three-track ep, 'arcstrumentals 3'. in it, erick retains the quirks and fixations of 'i've never been here before', combining it with dance and electronic music—a shift inspired by recent collaborations with friends jungle and l'imperatrice. it's a step in a new sonic direction, but the unpredictability is part of what makes the brooklyn rapper so compelling.

we caught up with the new york native to talk about everything from flatbush zombies to his solo work, new york and its influences, and what's ahead in 2025.