In this week’s edition of Ear 2 The Streets we’re keeping it in New York but not the New York that you’re thinking of. There’s no Times Square, dirty water dogs, or Hot 97. We’re talking about Buffalo. Many might think that the talent is limited but one man is doing his thing hard body. His name is Edreys and he gets the Sixshot.Com and Jonny Boy co-sign. Talented as a producer and rapper this non foul-mouthed MC is the wave of the future. Remember where you heard it.

Sixshot.Com: Sup man, what's good?

Edreys: I'm good. Every day is special and I'm able to smile.

Sixshot.Com: So what was it like coming up in Buffalo?

Edreys: Man, I really don't know how to answer that question without being long-winded. As a kid I remember Buffalo having a lot of pride. There were professional basketball teams, football and hockey teams that we all cheered for. You could see Rick James hanging out at some of the summer festivals. People pretty much had decent jobs, automotive, banking, teaching or some sort of industrial work. That's the Buffalo that I remember.

Even though we lived in the economically challenged part of city, the ghetto, the hood or whatever you choose to call it, where a lot of things we're afford to us, Buffalo and it's people still had pride. My mother made sure she exposed us to other thin gs like visiting universities, art galleries, art shows, festivals, etc. outside of where we lived and it was THAT which allowed our child-like minds to grow and explore for more. But the Buffalo of today, there isn't much pride about it.

We would like to think that the city is currently in an upstroke, but yet, the jobs are declining rapidly. It's a severely divided and segregated city. Education is suffering with alarming literacy rates and our kids are failing. We witness the same crime and violence as many other cities. It's been ranked nationally as the 2nd poorest city. Buffalo is a hot spot for cancer and HIV. No Super Bowl. No Stanley Cup. Snowfall in April. Buffalo is an interesting place to say the least. Despite all of that, there are some special things about the city, which make it hard for its people to give up on it. It's a strange love-hate relationship.

Sixshot.Com: Upstate has never been a hotbed but I feel like there are some good artists coming out of there lately. What do you think?

Edreys: Definitely some good talent in Upstate, no doubt about that. I can only speak about Buffalo personally, which in itself has never, ever been strapped for talent. Whether rock, jazz, folk or hip-hop, you name it, there are some incredibly talented artists here. Now here's the catch. The ones that stay here have to face the fact that it's not a hotbed and there are no major industry outlets, so the talent goes unheard and unrewarded most times.

The talents that do become successful each have one thing in common, they had to leave Buffalo. Very few of the successful ones come back to help make a difference so I applaud the ones that have.  Plus, I can't mention talent in Upstate or Buffalo without mentioning myself, I just can't let that go unsaid, and I'm here to make a difference.
 
Sixshot.Com: You produce and rap. Do you prefer one to the other?

Edreys: No I don't prefer one to the other. I think they both have the same challenges. When you are in the zone, the beats come fast and the joints are crazy, same goes for the rhymes. But, at the same time, be prepared for the dry-spell for either of them. Fortunately the way it works for me is, I create the beat, and if it's hot enough, if it's bangin', the rhymes usually follow-suit immediately. So for me I see them as a whole, and don't really separate them.

Sixshot.Com: Are you happy with the response to "I Like It"?

Edreys: More than pleased with the response to "I Like It”. It wasn't supposed to be a single at all. I will say this though, that from the time I made the beat, to writing the rhyme, I knew I found the middle ground. It was weird, because I felt it was general enough not to be boxed in, but just seen as a good song lyrically and musically.

People who care about lyrics were able to appreciate what I was kickin' and the people who don't care at all about lyrical skills who just want a good beat were able to feel it too. The video producer/director Hezues Rodriguez had a vision that he pitched to us, and we let him run with it. Then once the video was completed, we loved the song even more since the visual product was so professional and well suited for the track.
 
Sixshot.Com: You don't use profanity in your music, why is that?

Edreys: I've always been a square. The guy who didn't mind standing alone for what he believed. My friends have always respected the fact that Edreys will be Edreys. So, the fact that I keep it curse free, that's just who I am. My music directly reflects me in my everyday walk. I don't curse, so it's not in the music. So it's not something I do as a gimmick, plus I am a person who really feels responsibility needs to be taken seriously.

Artists are always quick to say, "I'm not a role model. I'm not responsible for what influence I have a over the kids." Whereas I'm very concerned about the kids. I have two of my own to whom I am definitely a role model. So I'm mindful in that regard that I can prove and show confidently who is Edreys by being myself and expressing that musically.

Sixshot.Com: Tell us about Good Morning Amy.

Edreys: Good Morning Amy is a working title for the album I'm completing. Basically, my team and I meet everyone Sunday morning at a place called Amy's Place for breakfast and plan our strategy. So, when I wake up at 6:30 in the morning on Sunday for a 7 a.m. meeting, it’s like saying "Good Morning Amy!"  For those involved, what it shows me is how dedicated and serious we all must be to meet each Sunday at that time. Plus, the morning symbolizes newness, a new start.

Sixshot.Com: You've been the opening act for some pretty big names. What were those experiences like?

Edreys: Nothing really exciting. Early on when I was starting out, I would have it fixed in my mind that who ever was the headliner, would be so impressed by my performance that I would get signed that way. Once I realized that fantasy was a waste of time, doing shows and opening for other acts was empty, because I truly feel that I'm better than most of them cats anyways. So, I don't have pictures standing next to stars and all that stuff from the shows I've done, because I have always seen myself as a success.
 
Sixshot.Com: You're also an artist, graphic and painting, right?

Edreys: Before music, it was written that I master the pen. That's the meaning of my name, Edreys. One who masters the pen or the scribe, so art was my first gift. I love drawing as much as I like creating music, and I'm happy that I'm finally able to put all my talents together and present myself as this unique artist/producer/emcee. The next video we're working on is called "Get Free" which will be an animated video fully drawn by myself. It's digitally directed and rendered by my man Rob at Lifeguard Productions in Rochester, NY. We keep it Upstate as much as possible.
 
Sixshot.Com: What happened with MEKA 54?

Edreys: It was just a 12" deal pretty much, and the label didn't really know how to go about marketing the product, for it was definitely in its own lane and different for the climate of music back then. The album was incredible though; it was produced completely by my man Alan Evans of Soulive. He's my best friend that I've known since like 3 years old. So we put my rhymes over his production and came up with that project. 54 is the school where we first met.

Sixshot.Com: You've also produced some tracks for television. What is that process like?

Edreys: It's interesting in regards to how the music is used. The tracks as you made them may be used in a different way than you intended. That's the cool part about it I guess. Having your work become a part of someone else's creative vision.

Sixshot.Com: With your style do you feel that you're going to appeal to a certain type of audience?

Edreys: Originally I wrote on paper that my audience would be the professional, educated, family oriented, male or female familiar with the old school music of the 80's since that's the music I most admire and just through conversation, discussion and study, that particular audience has been neglected in the music process. My music is intelligent, entertaining, clean, nostalgic and yet futuristic in a way. My approach is fresh, which by the way is the title of another video in the works being shot by the good people at Amilot Films in NYC. But, the "I Like It" video has shown us that, the appeal is much wider and younger than we thought and that we can't say exactly who it's going to appeal to. It'll make sense to who it needs to make sense with.
 
Sixshot.Com: How do you manage to keep your music so diverse?

Edreys: I don't get in the way of the process. I never sit down and say, "OK, today I'm working on this kind of track a hard, street joint." Or a club song, or a girl song, I just let the creativity flow. I experiment and see where it goes, that way it keeps it interesting for me. It's always something new, and repetition can be boring at times for me. So staying fresh and open-minded is staying diverse. I always keep in mind that my goal is to make good, classic music. Period.
 
Sixshot.Com: What projects do you have coming up that we can check for?

Edreys: We're always into some sort of planning, so the best thing to do is to watch. I guess the most immediate thing to mention is my tour in Spain. I'm packing right now as we speak. I'll be over there about a week. I'll be posting pics and video etc on my blog:
www.edreys.com. Otherwise I'll be focusing on the album to release it later this year.
 
Sixshot.Com: Anything you'd like to say to your fans out there?

Edreys: All I can say is thank you to the people that get it. The ones that get where I'm coming from and appreciate Edreys being a little different, noticing it and accepting it and seeing my music as pertinent and viable. Thanks to Sixshot and you Jay. Billy Drease Williams!