Eric Blaze - Villa Albertine

Music

New York
San Francisco

“New York City and San Francisco are two completely different cities, differing in climate, lifestyle, and ways of operating, yet both remain essential hubs for Hip Hop culture and the culture of beatmaking.”

Who?

Composer and beatmaker from Paris, I grew up in the capital immersed in a unique cultural melting pot. Hip Hop culture arrived in France in the 1980s and has since taken me under its wing. I began as a rapper, but my passion led me toward composition—what is called beatmaking. I started collaborating with French artists such as La Mafia K’1 Fry and Koma, who are now recognized as leading figures in the genre. Later, I moved to New York, where I stayed for many years, working and composing for legendary rappers and even for fellow beatmakers.

This art form is well known within an initiated world, yet remains largely unknown to the general public. My ultimate goal is to shine a spotlight on this culture, which still remains too much in the shadows.

Eric Blaze is a Parisian record store owner, artist, DJ, label manager, and internationally renowned music producer who lived nearly twenty years in New York. There, he made a name for himself at A1 Records and Academy Records, two of the city’s most respected vinyl shops, and produced numerous legendary artists such as KRS-One, La Mafia K’1 Fry, D.I.T.C, Infamous Mobb, and many others.

What?

My wish is to introduce the culture of beatmaking to the whole world. This art form remains largely unknown to the general public. Beatmakers are these sound architects, creators of the compositions that accompany rappers. In doing so, they amplify the power of their messages, delivered in rhythm, and they deserve to be brought to the forefront for once. I plan to conduct research on these behind‑the‑scenes maestros where it all began — in the United States. I will travel to both the East Coast and the West Coast.

Where?

Hip Hop was born in the United States in the early 1970s, more precisely on the East Coast, in New York City’s Bronx. I wish to travel to New York, the city that never sleeps. This city has a unique energy, and culturally it is an incredible melting pot. Art, fashion, and music blend seamlessly. You can attend an art exhibition with a large crowd in a trendy neighborhood like Soho, and an hour later find the same art lovers at a Hip Hop event just a few blocks away. This is deeply inspiring.

I want to meet pioneers of beatmaking culture — these first sound architects who made us vibrate with new rhythms that were once unknown. I wish to exchange with them and better understand their creative process. I also plan to travel to San Francisco on the West Coast, because this part of the United States truly intrigues me. There, many talented artists develop their own ways of working and their own ecosystems. The nearby tech industries have inspired beatmakers to distribute and share their music in a unique way, very different from the New York scene. I need to discover and understand this system and meet the people behind it.

New York City and San Francisco are two completely different cities, differing in climate, lifestyle, and ways of operating, yet both remain essential hubs for Hip Hop culture and the culture of beatmaking.

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