Erick the Architect Drops New Single "Ezekiel's Wheel" Featuring George Clinton
Full Length Debut Solo LP I've Never Been Here Before out February 23
by Shore Fire Media (Press Release)
George Clinton and Erick the Architect (photo courtesy of the artists).
Erick the Architect has released a new single from his upcoming debut solo album I've Never Been Here Before (out February 23). "Ezekiel's Wheel," featuring Parliament-Funkadelic legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer George Clinton, encapsulates Erick's unconventional musical odyssey, weaving together his diverse influences of soul, funk, and reggae, and fueled by a determination to challenge conventional expectations of a hip hop artist. The song explores metaphors in the Biblical story of Ezekiel's wheel, in which God arrives on a chariot drawn by four living creatures, and speaks to the unknowable powers we sometimes call upon to push us through a fight or struggle. The track is a nod to Erick's time growing up attending church with his family in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which partly led him to become a musician.
"'Ezekiel's Wheel' speaks on my initial discovery of being both a fan of music and the desire to become a musician. I had an eclectic taste as a kid for soul, funk and reggae music more than I ever wanted to be an MC. I was raised in church so reading the bible was a practice that provided value and faith. RUDE CAT and I became close friends over the years, both growing up in church with west indian parents in NYC-the song really spoke to both of our upbringings. The song felt psychedelic, and who better but George Clinton to compliment that musical space. My mom was a big Parliament fan so I always heard his voice in my house. I had the song on ice for a bit before George and I even met at a photoshoot, but I always had him in mind. It's an extreme honor to work alongside him. He has an incredible legacy and is easily one of my favorite artists of all time." - Erick the Architect
"I met Erick while at the shoot for the Funkadelic x Market collab and we instantly clicked. Dude's got that next funk! Erick invited me to add some Pfunk to 'Ezekiel's Wheel' - it was a natural process and I'm stoked by the final outcome." - George Clinton
In November, Erick announced I've Never Been Here Before in an exclusive feature with Rolling Stone who describes the album as, "a winding, perilous, and deeply personal body of work that celebrates [Erick's] mastery as both a storyteller and conductor of his own authentic sound." Alongside his most recent single, "Shook Up" featuring Joey Bada$$, Erick had earlier shared two songs from I've Never Been Here Before: "Parkour" produced by James Blake and "Ambrosia"featuring Channel Tres. These three tracks have earned praise from Stereogum, Consequence, Hypebeast, XXL, SPIN, KCRW, HipHopDX, HotNewHipHop, Brooklyn Vegan and WNYC. Erick was also recently featured on Track Star.
"Ezekiel's Wheel" will debut in tandem with an exclusive, limited-edition t-shirt co-created by Erick and George Clinton for MARKET. This collaboration represents a fusion of creative energies, serving as a tribute to Clinton's profound influence on Erick's artistic journey, both visually and culturally. Link to purchase here: https://marketstudios.com/products/ezekiels-wheel-t-shirt
I've Never Been Here Before is a deeply personal and powerful body of work divided into 4 parts, exploring themes of fearlessness, Black resilience, beauty in darkness, and unity. Additional features on the album include Joey Bada$$, Westside Boogie, Channel Tres, Kimbra, Lalah Hathaway, Rude Cat, Boy Boy with Production by James Blake, T Minus, FARR
Erick the Architect has reached unrivaled heights in the music industry as a solo artist and with Flatbush Zombies, including amassing more than 900 million streams, debuting on the Billboard 200, and collaborating with a veritable who's who of over 50 artists including Denzel Curry, Danny Brown, Tech N9ne, and Portugal. The Man. He just came off the heels of the 10-year anniversary tour with Flatbush Zombies for their second mixtape, BetterOffDEAD, which was released on streaming services for the first time in September. He's also performed in festivals around the world, been featured in publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Fader, Hypebeast, Complex and Esquire, and performed on multiple late-night shows with the hip-hop supergroup Beast Coast. In 2021 he released the Future Proof EP, and has also scored the original music featured in the new documentary film THE CHOICE IS YOURS (out now on Paramount+), which explores the life of rapper and artist Andres "Dres" Vargas-Titus, part of the legendary 90's hip hop duo Black Sheep.
About George Clinton:
George Clinton is an American treasure. As one of the foremost innovators of funk music, Clinton was/is the mastermind behind legendary Parliament-Funkadelic, creating a uniquely identifiable and pleasantly addictive musical sound, a timeless art that has lifted funk music from what was once considered a simple style to an internationally recognized and respected musical genre. His humility, openness to change, and incredible ingenuity has earned George Clinton and Parliament / Funkadelic their rightful place in music history: an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recipients of the Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award.
I've Never Been Here Before - Track List:
01 I Am Still 02 2-3 Zone (prod. James Blake) 03 Parkour(prod. James Blake) 04 Breaking Point ft. Baby Rose, RUDE CAT & Pale Jay 05 Mandevillain 06 Ezekiel's Wheel ft. George Clinton 07 Jammy Jam 08 Ambrosia ft. Channel Tres 09 Shook Up ft. Joey Bada$$ & FARR 10 Beef Patty ft. Boy Boy (prod. James Blake) 11 Colette 12 Instincts ft. Westside Boogie 13 Neue Muse 14 Leukemia / AM ft. Kimbra 15 Too Much Talkin (prod. James Blake) 16 Liberate ft. Lalah Hathaway
