get these nets
Veteran
*terribly written article, full of bad puns.
08/11/2023
Legendary DJ Eric B. is considering a run for office in New York. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
Eric B. & Rakim is one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history.
Rolling Stone ranked them the fifth greatest musical duo of all time, ahead of Sonny & Cher and Outkast. They broke out in 1986 with their first single: “Eric B. is President.”
Now, the DJ is thinking of a master plan: Eric B. is public advocate. Or Eric B. is city councilmember. Or maybe assemblymember.
The artist, whose legal name is Eric Barrier, exclusively told Playbook that he’s seriously considering running for office and is putting together an exploratory team.
“Jeff Aubry, he’s older now,” Barrier said, referring to the 75-year-old Assembly speaker pro tempore. “(Francisco) Moya’s seat is up in the City Council in Queens, I might go in that direction. … If whatshisname doesn’t run for public advocate again, I might run for his position.”
Whatshisname is Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. And Eric B. dissed him.
“The public advocate’s really been missing for the last year,” Barrier said. “He hasn’t been in the streets since he’s had the baby (in February 2022). You don’t hear from him. He’s been nowhere. And if you’re fighting for the people, you’ve got to be on the streets every day.”
Williams’ team didn’t want beef, saying the public advocate has been working in the halls of government and in the streets for the last four years, and he’s planning to run for another four: “He’s always been a fan of Eric B. as an artist and is glad to see him getting involved in public service — and he’s always up for a collaboration.”
Moya likes him too.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of people running for that seat,” he said of the council district he’ll be term-limited out of in 2025. “I love Eric B. Not just his music, but I also know him personally. He’s a really great guy.”
Barrier is on the board of Urban Upbound, which is Bishop Mitchell Taylor’s poverty alleviation nonprofit based in Long Island City. He’s also active with the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau.
“I went to about 40 fukking National Night Out events,” he said. “It’s cool to see, people going to the police department, not thinking the department is the enemy.”
Barrier also has a recurring role as a police lieutenant in the TV show Blue Bloods. He says he’s not a progressive, but “a Democrat with an open mind.”
Barrier primarily lives in Henderson, Nevada. But he was born and raised in East Elmhurst, Queens. He says he’s in New York all the time and plans to officially move back and register to vote here, soon, probably in Queens.
Why now? “I owe everything to New York City,” said the DJ. “I woke up one day and said I can’t keep throwing rocks at the system. Either you’re at the table or on the menu.”
It’s an auspicious time for hip-hop and politics. Today is the 50th anniversary of the genre, which legend has it began on Aug. 11, 1973, at a party in the South Bronx.
And don’t sweat the technique of going from rap to politics. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado dropped an album as AD The Voice, and Newark, NJ Councilmember Dupré Kelly rapped in Lords of the Underground.
Some of the most powerful politicians grew up with hip-hop, from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to Mayor Eric Adams.
“He’s been my man since before the pandemic,” Eric B. said about Eric A., who’s hosted him at a handful of press conferences. “I think he’s sharper now than he’s ever been. He sees all the sharks, all the snakes, and he has to avoid them.”
On hip-hop’s 50th birthday, a legendary DJ eyes office
08/11/2023
Legendary DJ Eric B. is considering a run for office in New York. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
Eric B. & Rakim is one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history.
Rolling Stone ranked them the fifth greatest musical duo of all time, ahead of Sonny & Cher and Outkast. They broke out in 1986 with their first single: “Eric B. is President.”
Now, the DJ is thinking of a master plan: Eric B. is public advocate. Or Eric B. is city councilmember. Or maybe assemblymember.
The artist, whose legal name is Eric Barrier, exclusively told Playbook that he’s seriously considering running for office and is putting together an exploratory team.
“Jeff Aubry, he’s older now,” Barrier said, referring to the 75-year-old Assembly speaker pro tempore. “(Francisco) Moya’s seat is up in the City Council in Queens, I might go in that direction. … If whatshisname doesn’t run for public advocate again, I might run for his position.”
Whatshisname is Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. And Eric B. dissed him.
“The public advocate’s really been missing for the last year,” Barrier said. “He hasn’t been in the streets since he’s had the baby (in February 2022). You don’t hear from him. He’s been nowhere. And if you’re fighting for the people, you’ve got to be on the streets every day.”
Williams’ team didn’t want beef, saying the public advocate has been working in the halls of government and in the streets for the last four years, and he’s planning to run for another four: “He’s always been a fan of Eric B. as an artist and is glad to see him getting involved in public service — and he’s always up for a collaboration.”
Moya likes him too.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of people running for that seat,” he said of the council district he’ll be term-limited out of in 2025. “I love Eric B. Not just his music, but I also know him personally. He’s a really great guy.”
Barrier is on the board of Urban Upbound, which is Bishop Mitchell Taylor’s poverty alleviation nonprofit based in Long Island City. He’s also active with the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau.
“I went to about 40 fukking National Night Out events,” he said. “It’s cool to see, people going to the police department, not thinking the department is the enemy.”
Barrier also has a recurring role as a police lieutenant in the TV show Blue Bloods. He says he’s not a progressive, but “a Democrat with an open mind.”
Barrier primarily lives in Henderson, Nevada. But he was born and raised in East Elmhurst, Queens. He says he’s in New York all the time and plans to officially move back and register to vote here, soon, probably in Queens.
Why now? “I owe everything to New York City,” said the DJ. “I woke up one day and said I can’t keep throwing rocks at the system. Either you’re at the table or on the menu.”
It’s an auspicious time for hip-hop and politics. Today is the 50th anniversary of the genre, which legend has it began on Aug. 11, 1973, at a party in the South Bronx.
And don’t sweat the technique of going from rap to politics. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado dropped an album as AD The Voice, and Newark, NJ Councilmember Dupré Kelly rapped in Lords of the Underground.
Some of the most powerful politicians grew up with hip-hop, from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to Mayor Eric Adams.
“He’s been my man since before the pandemic,” Eric B. said about Eric A., who’s hosted him at a handful of press conferences. “I think he’s sharper now than he’s ever been. He sees all the sharks, all the snakes, and he has to avoid them.”
