ORLANDO, Fla. – Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio E-Z Baby was influenced by his musical family. From his mom and grandpa playing guitar, his brother free-style rapping, to the first keyboard he made beats on, E-Z had rhythm running through his veins.
“My first job when I was a teenager was actually in a music store where they sold cassette tapes,” E-Z said.
The music-lover even deejayed proms and sweet-16 parties. His love for writing songs came from sitting for hours listening to the radio and writing the lyrics to learn how songs flowed.
“This was back when you recorded songs off the radio to a tape and listened, then rewind, listen some more," E-Z said. “There was no (way to) look up lyrics on the internet back then”.
Unlike his mom or grandfather, E-Z didn’t play the guitar. His Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage soon led him to the metallic sound of la guira, a percussion instrument used in merengue and bachata music.
“I play it everywhere, even in clubs. It’s so loud you don’t need a microphone to hear it even over the loud music,” E-Z said.
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He soon started making his own music.
“Ninety percent of my music is about love," E-Z said.
After making a song titled “Colombia flores y rosas” inspired after visiting the country — and even releasing that song as a single under the name Eezz Beats — E-Z settled down, got married and stopped making music.
The break from music lasted four years. During that time E-Z and his wife divorced.
“I counted it as a blessing because after a four-year hiatus, it inspired me on a whole new level coming back to music ," E-Z said.
The return to music came on Feb. 14, 2021, but this time with a new name and sound.
“I started listening to afro-beats and locked into Nigeria’s rhythm and culture because it was happy and about love," E-Z said.
Under a new name, E-Z Baby, he came out with new singles Falsa, Conocemos and Consequencias, which are a mix of Spanish and English songs.
His latest song Understatement is his first song released in all English and happens to be the name of his first album. While these songs talk about love in-depth — even as far as long-term commitment and denture appointments — E-Z said they’re all upbeat and songs you can dance or just chill out to.
“I can’t wait to release what I have and show the world,” E-Z said.
His album Understatement is set to release on his birthday, July 5, and will be available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.