E.R.A.

An unsigned buzzmaker hailing from the hip-hop capital of the South, A-Town’s E.R.A. makes his grand entrance into The DJBooth with an EP single dedicated to a jazz legend. Appropriately given its namesake, Coltrane is heavy on the horns. Producer Glenn Greatzky‘s brass/woodwind loops, superimposed over a laid-back, yet driving percussion rhythm, accompanies the emcee as he celebrates his mic skills in vivid, animated verses. The record ends with a thematically appropriate snippet from an interview with the jazz great. Has this head-noddable debut feature piqued your interest? More awaits on E.R.A.‘s The Breeze Card Chronicles EP, available now for free download via Audiomack. - Djbooth.net

There’s a constant stream of hip-hop coming from Atlanta. The southern city has been a game changer for decades. While E.R.A. has yet to become one of the most impactful artists from his city, he’s well on his way to paving his own lane with the debut of his latest project, The Breeze Card Chronicles. The project, which runs in at ten tracks total, is characterized by eclectic samples, expressive emceeing, creative metaphors, and varied song concepts. Stream The Breeze Card Chronicles in full below. - Artistic Manifesto

A few months back we were asked throw a track into the mix for Hot 97’s Battle Of The Beats, in which we picked the track “Coltrane” by the up and coming wordsmith, ERA. Well fast foward, and today ERA is back with a brand new collection of material for our listening enjoyment, unleashing The Breeze Card Chronicles.

The project is a refreshing collection of all new material, loaded up with ten tracks, including his stand out, “Coltrane”. The project is a dope showing of the up and coming wordsmiths talents, in which he doesn’t let us down, supplying us with a number of solid lyrical offerings. Don’t sleep on this shit right here. Check out the new project after the jump and speak your mind on it down below. - Stupiddope

It’s been about a year since we’ve last heard anything from the Atlanta rapper, E.R.A., whose unofficial debut project, The Dream Act, impressed with honest introspection and illustrative rhymes. But he’s back now with another well-crafted effort, “Coltrane”, which serves as our formal introduction to upcoming EP, The Breeze Card Chronicles.

The track features an aggressive fluidity absent from the more mellow efforts appearing on TDA, but it’s a nuance entirely welcome to our ears, thanks in part to Glenn Gretzky’s energetic, jazz-infused production backing it up. And within the high-octane ambiance provided, E.R.A. lashes out with consistenly clever lines, refusing to succumb to the type of hip-hop monotony he references early and often. - Potholes in my Blog

im high and excited that I just randomly checked one of a few music submissions from artists wanting to be featured on themelonheads and the dude is actually dope/ really fuckin dope actually/ e.r.a. coming out of atlanta, ga and son of two sierra leone immigrants/ e.r.a. mixes soulful productions with smart lyricsm/ peep it and you wont regret it, i promise/ oh yea – e.r.a. stands for every rappers antagonist/ clever - Themelonheads

A recording studio located in Atlanta, Ga., Back Pack Music is preparing to showcase its talented clientele on a fresh compilation album. On the latest leak off the project, A-town rhymesayer E.R.A. grabs the mic to Talk Some Sh*t over a smooth, soul-sampled beat by Quiet Storm. Does this smooth, swag-laden selection leave you craving more underground bangers? You’ll find what you seek on Back to School Volume 1, released in mid-November and out now online. - DJbooth

ERA (Every Rappers Antagonist) sent his debut project "The Dream Act" through for us to post. At first I was preparing to hit delete. Not Chicago and I've never heard of him. Something made me press play. And I'm glad I did. I am qualified to tell you to listen. While i'm typing this, I'm listening to this project for the 3rd time. Those who enjoy story telling, without the violence and drug tales, look no further. ERA keeps it soulful and lyrical (my favorite mixture) and very entertaining. ATL got another one, all thats left for you to do is

#DontSleep
- Only4the real

Atlanta based artist, E.R.A, released “The Dream Act” back in October. It’s an incredible album and thats why im posting it now. E.R.A. (Every Rapper’s Antagonist) is the son of two African immigrants from Sierra Leone. He has a jazzy hip-hop feel to his music but has alot of southern influences in the production. Incredible flow, delivery and lyrics. We present to you, “The Dream Act” - StereoAssult

What rappers come to mind when you think of Atlanta? A major mecca of hip-hop since the genre's initial rise in the 80s, the city has birthed countless rap stars, T.I, Young Jeezy, and Ludacris being among the city's most famous contributions to hip-hop. Atlanta isn't just Magic City and Freaknik, however, and freshman rapper ERA seeks to prove that the Dungeon Family aren't the only artists in Atlanta who sound great over a luxurious bed of soul and funk samples. The Dream Act is his debut album and initial statement, a fifteen song selection of soft percussion and snappy flows, for kids who rock fitteds, not snapbacks.

You can interpret the title of this work as possibly in reference to The D.R.E.A.M. Act, the game changing piece of legislation that would reform immigration in the United States. This could make sense, considering that ERA is the son of two African immigrants, but it could also mean something else. This is the Act of ERA's life when he finally gets to live out his rapper dreams, when he graduates from writing rhymes in between classes to rocking stages coast to coast. There's a lot in ERA's music that may set off the "backpacker" alarm in some folks: raps about radio placement, struggling to earn one's keep, and the fact that dude records his music at something called Back Pack Music tell you a little bit about ERA's outlook on hip-hop. His name stands for Every Rapper's Antagonist, which shows us that he feels that he's opposed to the state of rap music today.

So he's a backpacker! But he's more of a Joey Bada$$ than a Joel Ortiz. His music is the sound of a kid in love with a past he doesn't remember, rather than the sound of an old man fighting to keep breakbeats alive, and that gives him a pass. He's working within an aesthetic of another time, but he's not doing so as a corrective course. Plus, it's pretty clear that he can spit: "What's right and what's wrong, I don't know the lines well / So I can never smoke an L, and still go to hell? / Am I blessed with a shot / will I cross over well / niggas will start dying over shoes I sell". These are real issues that ERA is grappling with, and he knows how to tackle his concepts without going over the listener's head. I'm excited to see where ERA's talent takes him. Cheers to him for living out his dream. - The Brown Noise

Hailing from Atlanta, E.R.A. (Every Rapper’s Antagonist) is a fresh, laid-back, alternative twist on southern hip hop. Instead of clashing, jagged percussion and heavy synthesizer effects, E.R.A. finds home on a beat that’s more soothing and submerged in chopped samples, soulful and jazzy. Speaking as the everyman, E.R.A. details life in a lyrical manner as he takes you on a journey through The Dream Act. - hiphopspeakeasy

This tape reminds me of early Kanye, definitely a great project worth listening to in its entirety. The Dream Act is soulful and lyrical. Something that is missing in a lot of music these days. Check it out! - toochillhiphop

I’ve been putting off doing these lately because of the submissions I’ve been receiving are pretty fucking awesome, and this joint is no different. In fact this tape has been in constant rotation for the last month and I kind of forgotten to actually write the damn article so without further a do meet, ERA a native Atlanta rapper who’s putting a new face on what Atlanta Hip-hop sounds like. Whereas most (southern, but not limited to) rappers showcase a crunk and disorderly approach, while lacking in lyrical depth, ERA kind of stands out with emphasis on what’s being said as well as how it’s being said. On his debut “The Dream Act” released last October, we kind of explore his mind a little it’s more about his day to day life of coming into his artistry as well as his day to day comings into being a man and honoring where he’s come from with a clear path to his future and what he dreams for. - Hommeboylife

I like this. Super chilled out beat while E.R.A. (said E, R, A; like N.E.R.D; NOT LIKE the word Era as in a period of time) spits about going through the motions. I dig the name of the record too, which gives a nod to MLK Jr. and his I Have A Dream speech; sounds like a peace-treaty, like that’s what the album is. I like it. Yeh.

- Marco Pitino - Tunesidig

Earlier this week on Twitter, we told our followers to submit their music to us, because we wanted feature some up and coming, undiscovered talent on the site. And we weren’t expecting much to be high quality shit (let’s be honest…), BUT, one project we did stumble across came from a young rapper out of Atlanta. He goes by the name of E.R.A., which stands for Every Rapper’s Antagonist (dope ass name), and his music isn’t based on the usual Atlanta sound.If you ask me, the sound is more like a Lupe Fiasco vibe (not this new politics obsessed Lupe, but the Lupe Fiasco that made “Kick Push”). It’s lyrical, relatable, cool, fresh, and surprisingly strong for an undiscovered artist. Check out E.R.A.’s ‘The Dream Act’ mixtape below: - Dopeavenue

Name your price for this underground classic! Trust me – if you love hip-hop like we at Rule4080 love hip-hip, this album will have you open off of the refreshing beats and introspective bars. Sonically, this album falls into the sub-genre of hip-hop shared by the likes of Digable Planets, Native Tongues, Slum Village and Hieroglyphics due to the mostly jazz-influenced soul samples and smooth vocal delivery. E.R.A.’s ‘The Dream Act’ is a must-have – especially for those fickle fans who believe there’s no more “good hip-hop”. Check it out and don’t forget to support the artist! - rule4080

It sure feels good to be a Hip Hop writer. Every day I get to hear new music by talented artists who haven’t been exposed to the world yet – it’s like a daily reminder that Hip Hop has a bright future. I recently got the privilege of listening to a new tape called The Dream Act. The Dream Act is the debut project of an artist by the name of E.R.A., who hails from Atlanta, GA. I must say, this tape has quickly become one of my favorite releases by an up-and-coming MC. The soulful beats and E.R.A.’s lyricism take me back to a beautiful era of Hip Hop. Listen for yourself.

-Chisom Uzosike - sickerthanyouravg.com

If you guys only knew how much it makes my day when I hear music like this from Atlanta artist. Its just good to know that the essence of hip-hop still lives in the south. Ladies and gents meet Atl emcee, E.R.A. (Every Rapper’s Antagonist). The son of two African immigrants from Sierra Leone, he mixes his culture into his rhymes. His latest project The Dream Act takes us on a journey of the everyday life of a guy trying to make his mark on the industry. From taking a dream and making it reality to remember the days on public transportation E.R.A. hold nothing back. Can we say podcast coming soon?!?! Continue reading for album stream. Relax and Listen! - Str8outdaden

“Monique at dinner time, no question if I’m eating”…

This is just one of many bars that made me laugh while listening to this submission. E.R.A (Every Rapper’s Antagonist) slightly blew me away with this album. He’s definitely got bars and flow, sometimes it’s a bit malformed to the beat, but his ability to pick great producers is ridiculous. Of course he hasn’t named any production credits on this joint, so I’m just left in the dark at who I should be following and looking out for on future songs. I really appreciate his ability to make a smart song sound fun. H.B.C.U. for instance is NOT what you’d expect it to sound like. The whole experience, being that it’s from someone I’ve never heard of, was captivatingly charismatic.

This may be an unusual observation, but it’s befitting to declare this album as charming. Now, no album is perfect and sometimes bars sound forced and mis-cited from memory. Also, some of these features just aren’t that good. They’re too stiff sounding. The lyrics are there but they lack an air of fluidity. It’s a rare experience but one that has to be noted with fair criticism. Besides that, I definitely RECOMMEND you download this debut project.

DJBooth even knows about this kid!! NICE! - Wheres my 40 acres