BY MAUREEN PARKER for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 7/24/2026
OK, so boom! (Yeah, I know . . . it may or may not change, so deal with it. )
Sometimes you walk into an interview thinking you’re going to talk about music, and you walk away having your entire perspective challenged. This is one of those interviews.
A lot of the recommendations I get for these articles come from people I’ve already interviewed, and this particular gentleman was recommended to me by Serni Solidarios. When I tell you this conversation went in a couple of different directions, I mean it. We talked about music, finance, purpose, artificial intelligence, community, and what it means to leave something behind for the next generation. Trying to fit all of that into one article is going to be miraculous, but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy the ride.
Eric Mercer Jr. moved to Washington from California at a young age. With military ties in his family, he was raised in the Tacoma area and quickly proved he wasn’t just creative; he was an exceptional communicator.
As a senior in high school, Eric was a member of the debate team and finished in the top 1 percent of students invited to Washington, D.C., to compete. The competition culminated with participants speaking in the House of Representatives, and Eric won.
Let me say that again . . .
He won.
What makes that accomplishment even more meaningful is that members of Tacoma’s Black community came together to help fund his trip. Folks believed in him long before the music industry ever did.
So we’re starting off pretty strong, people.
Fast forward to Seattle.
Eric connected with producer Kuddie Fresh (K Fresh), who was part of the production group Tha Bizness. The group worked on early projects with artists such as Chris Brown, Tank, and T-Pain. Around Eric’s freshman year of college, he decided to pursue music seriously. Like many hungry artists, he started taking his songs to neighborhood barbershops to get honest feedback.
Side note: if you’ve ever been to a neighborhood barbershop, you already know there are two things you’ll always get: an opinion and the truth. Whether you asked for it or not! Honestly, it’s like having your own personal A&R department.
Eric continued developing demo records with Kuddie. During one of Kuddie’s trips to New York, he met with the manager of rapper Big Pooh from the acclaimed group Little Brother. One of Eric’s songs caught their attention, and because of the relationship Kuddie had built, Eric was introduced to people who could help move his career forward.
Around 2018, that path eventually led to meeting none other than Dr. Dre.
Eric and Dre worked together for approximately a year and a half. During that time, Eric contributed as both a songwriter and sound engineer. The opportunities that followed led to records that earned platinum and double-platinum certifications, along with Billboard top-five and top-10 hits.
Get outta the city!
Today, Eric records under the artist name Blakk Soul and operates his own independent label, Audio Velvet Entertainment. He’s currently putting the finishing touches on a five-song EP. While a release date hasn’t been announced yet, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
One of the things that impressed me most wasn’t simply his musical résumé; it was how intentional he is about finding purpose in everything he does.
These days, Eric also works in finance.
At first glance, music and finance may seem like two completely different worlds, but after talking with him, I realized they’re more connected than most people think. We spend so much time talking about the music that we sometimes forget about the industry. That’s where so many artists find themselves in trouble.
Eric is passionate about helping underrepresented communities understand money, ownership, and wealth. He spoke about the historical reality of artists, particularly Black artists and other creatives, whose work, publishing, or financial futures have been exploited because they didn’t always have access to the information they needed to protect themselves.
His goal is simple: help people make informed decisions so future generations don’t repeat the same mistakes.
And let me tell you . . .
That upfront advance money they’re throwing at you ain’t always what you think it is.
You can’t be so in love with the art that you forget somebody else is looking at you as an asset. The business has evolved, and now the industry has figured out ways to profit from independent artists, too.
Suhweet Georgia Brown, people . . .
Attention must be PAID.
Another fascinating part of our conversation centered around artificial intelligence.
I learned more than I ever expected about prompts, AI-generated music, and the thousands of AI artists who have already released songs and are generating revenue.
Now my question was . . .
How are they going to go on tour?
Make this make sense.
I know holograms exist, but are people really ready to buy a ticket and watch a hologram headline a theater or arena?
Eric wasn’t discouraged in the slightest.
He told me something that really stuck with me.
“There isn’t a computer that can do what I do. AI will always have to follow us.”
That statement hit me because he’s right. If you’re always following someone else’s creativity, you’re not leading the trend.
Put that on a T-shirt!
Eric recently reunited with his brothers, Zach Bruce and J. Charles, along with the NSB Band, for an R&B tribute performance at The Lotte Hotel Seattle, the first time they had shared the stage together since around 2014. His musical influences include Bilal, D’Angelo, and Marvin Gaye, and you can hear pieces of those influences in the soulfulness of his own artistry.
Looking ahead, Eric is planning to produce future shows at the New Frontier Lounge that will blend music and spoken word while inviting fellow artists and friends to perform alongside him. Dates haven’t been announced yet, but they’re definitely worth watching for.
So, to wrap this up . . .
Music may have opened the door for Eric Mercer Jr., but purpose is what keeps him walking through it.
Whether he’s creating as Blakk Soul, educating families about financial literacy, or helping artists better understand the business behind the music, his goal remains the same: leave people better informed than he found them.
If our conversation was any indication, though, the music is only part of the story.
Eric Mercer Jr. is thoughtful, talented, and deeply committed to his community. He’s determined to help artists protect their creativity, families build generational knowledge, and people understand that success isn’t measured only by accomplishments but by what you’re willing to pass on to those who come after you.
And to me, that’s a legacy worth building.
Check out Blakk Soul Music at youtube.com/@BlakkSoulMusic or on Instagram at @blakksoulmusic.
