NY Elite: Tell us a little about yourself as an artist.

Eddy I.: My name is Eddy I. I am a 23-year-old independent artist from Staten Island, New York.

NY Elite: How did you get started and how would you describe your music?

Eddy I.: Man, I’ve been rapping since I was like 5 years old (my mother can tell you herself) but I never got around to recording music until about my freshman year in high school. All my friends and I would all go to my house after school and just freestyle to industry beats. We kinda all started like that. 

I’d like to say my music is very all-over-the-place, but like in a good way lol. It’s my goal to create music that can hit everyone. If one song isn’t for you, then I promise you there’s at least ONE other track in there you’ll like. Versatility is a big focus for me.

NY Elite: What does art mean to you? 

Eddy I.: Art is everything. Anyone invested in anything they do professionally, NEEDS to maintain some level of artistry. It’s what makes us unique. Anyone can wash a car, or take phone calls, but the successful ones get more business because they do things differently. They are masters at what they do. I know the analogy isn’t the best but let’s just pretend it is LOL. 

…but yeah. I’m very annoying when it comes down to my artistry. I usually shoot for risks or focus heavy on things that aren’t JUST the song. Sometimes it’s a bit hard for others to quite grasp what I’m trying to do so the process takes a little longer, but it’s never something I’ll sacrifice. I don’t care how long it takes. It’s the soul of what I’m doing.

NY Elite: What projects are you currently working on? 

Eddy I.: I’m constantly working on new music, but for now I’m just doing that more in the background. I’ve been heavily focused on promoting songs that new fans never got around to hearing. I want to push them as far as they can go.

Right now, I’m just focused on making good songs. Not really too locked in on an idea for a project or anything, but that’s always a possibility.

NY Elite: Can you tell us what inspired “Dear Gemini” and who did you work with on the MV?

Eddy I.: Dear Gemini is about a weird time in my relationship with my ex. We wanted two different things, but I stuck around in hopes that maybe she’d see that I still loved her. Obviously that didn’t work lmao. We’re cool though. Good terms.

I also worked on the music video with my homie ZooDeVille from California. He’s done a few of my videos, actually. It was a dope vibe. We have a bunch more stuff in the works coming soon. 

NY Elite: What are your favorite songs/albums you have worked on so far?

Eddy I.: I think personally my favorite record I’ve put out is Dear Gemini. It’s been so amazing to see the overwhelming positive response to the song because like everything else I’ve done, it’s super personal. Just knowing the record connects with people is beautiful to me. It keeps me going.

Other than that, I really love songs like “Leech”, “You Warned Me”, “Wicked”, and a bunch of others. I really hope people find time to check out the other records. I put my heart into them.

NY Elite: Where was your last performance?

Eddy I.: My last big show was in Los Angeles, California. We have a bunch of things planned for the very near future though.

NY Elite: Where would you most like to perform and tell us about some of your favorite projects you have been part of. 

Eddy I.: Right now, my big goals performance-wise are festival related. I would love to shoot for Rolling Loud, SXSW, and a bunch of other shows of that magnitude.

NY Elite: If you could try a new genre of music, what would it be?

Eddy I.: Man. I’m always looking for different ways to reinvent myself. Right now, I wanna try and make some funky-futuristic stuff. I’m a huge Daft Punk fan, so naturally I try to mix some of those vibes in.

NY Elite: Do you enjoy writing music and/or lyrics?

Eddy I.: Oh, 100%. No offense to those that have writers or anything, but I can’t imagine myself not ever writing my own stuff. It’s the heart of it. It’s the entirety of the fun/meaning for me.

NY Elite: Do you play any instruments? 

Eddy I.: Nah, sadly. I really wish I could. I just got a bass guitar from my boy Glaze. Fingers crossed hopefully I can learn something.

NY Elite: What hidden talents do you have? 

Eddy I.: I’m FIRE at video games and it’s not a secret lmao.

NY Elite: Who Are Your Musical Influences?

Eddy I.: That’s not really an easy question to answer to be honest. I never truly established a formula from any of my favorite artists. I feel like a lot of the time you can’t really hear those influences in my music. Regardless, I love Daft Punk, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Method Man, Missy Elliot, and Brockhampton.

NY Elite: What personal advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue this career?

Eddy I.: Only go for something you love. That goes for everything. Not just this career. Pure passion will push you where you need to go.

NY Elite: What can we expect from you this year? Any tour plans? 

Eddy I.: The world is slowly but surely changing. Not able to promise anything but hopefully circumstances will allow us to do a nice tour. Until then, a lot more music videos, a lot more songs, a lot more features.

NY Elite: Where can fans find you on social media? 

Eddy I.: You can find me on pretty much everything @eddygotsalsa.