Erick the Architect of Flatbush Zombies has lost his BlackBerry keyboard

Erick the Architect is a founding member of, and executive producer of, the legendary Flatbush Zombies. He’s toured the world, performed on Kimmel and Fallon, played Coachella, and collaborated with everyone from Joey Bada$$ and Rza to James Blake and the hard-hitting punk band Trash Talk. But perhaps the most unexpected interaction was with Apple, where Erick appeared after the end of Tim Cook WWDC presentation to rap about programming. This only showed that he had left his new disco music and reggae music, “No Doubt (I’m In Love).”

The new single, produced by Yeti Beats and Federico Vindver, is a change in tone from the dark, gritty, sonic sound that Erick is known for. But that’s part of what makes it so compelling. Erick is still looking to experiment and expand his palette further in his career. This obsession doesn’t stop him from being interested in physical phone keyboards and the GameCube, however. It also turns out that Erick was one of the few people who spent his hard earned money on a Nokia N-Gage.

What is your most important tool?

A moleskine notebook and pen.

What’s the first app you install on a new phone or computer?

I usually go to Dropbox first so I can pull up the thousands of files I have saved floating around the internet somewhere.

What’s one thing you’d like to change about your phone?

I miss typing on my phone with a physical keyboard like I do with my BlackBerry.

What pages do you have pinned on your tab?

ESPN, Behance, MyFonts, Fanatics, Topps, eBay, Discord, UPS, FedEx, Whatnot, Plex

How many tabs do you have open right now?

What’s your favorite place on the internet?

Uh… the screen that says “Your order has been placed” when you buy something online

What’s your favorite piece of equipment you’ve owned?

What was the biggest disappointment?

Which game do you remember?

Resident Evil 4 for GameCube. I played the game so many times until my eyes were red, and all I remember was the big TV I was playing on. TVs back then were so big that they were actually pieces of furniture. When it’s time to move it, you need about four people to lift those big TVs. Anyway, I love the game, and I think I’m probably one of the best people in the game!

Which tech trend do you want to see go away?

I’m not really a fan of reality and putting things in my eyes to augment my reality… sorry to anyone who is obsessed with those things!

What is your favorite thing to do?

I wish I could do the song “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s a very silly song in a very beautiful way. I can’t compare it to any other song. If I do, I have to name a ton of different songs to make this one. I think if it was me who made it, people wouldn’t know what kind of music to expect from me, and that’s great.

What creation are you most proud of?

If I had a child, my answer would be that – but since I don’t, I have to say the project I released in 2011 called “Almost Remembered.” It was a catalyst for all the music I learned to make, and it gave me the confidence to continue as a producer and artist. I considered myself a gamer back then, but it was the most creative I’ve ever heard of trying new sounds.

What are you not proud of?

I don’t want anyone to google the name of something I’m not proud of hahaha

What is the best advice you have ever received?

My mom told me that everyone has a season, and even if it’s not your season now… You have to think that when it comes, that season could last forever. Be patient and wait.

What is your passion?

What do you do when you want to focus?

Turn off my phone or pretend I don’t have it anymore.

What do you do when you’re stuck?

Again, turn off my phone or pretend I don’t have it anymore.

When was the last time you went somewhere without your phone?

I travel without my phone all the time, and I use my offline digital media player. I can focus on music completely without being distracted by incoming texts, emails, or social media.

When was the last piece of screen you bought?

I bought a lot of records at VinylCon! a few months ago, and I have been collecting The ultimate Batman and Invincible joke.

What do you think should be confusing?

Food is anything you want to collect.

What would be the tagline of your biopic?

“A man who has a lot on his mind.”

What was the last GIF or meme you used?