RESPECT. Interview: Eskeerdo Talks About His Hometown, His Music & More [Part 2]

In this part of the interview, Eskeerdo talks about his Grammy-award winning moment, transitioning from songwriting to artist, his “Weekend Behavior,” Cuban Jesus, and more.

If you haven’t already checked out part 1 of our interview with Eskeerdo, here it is.

RESPECT.: Absolutely. So speaking of, you spoke at the beginning about being a Grammy-award winner, so when that happened what was that moment like for you when you knew it and realized after all that hard work to get there; what was that moment like when you won?

Eskeerdo: You want to know what’s crazy, I was at a Costco. I wasn’t even at the Grammys. I was at a Costco and I was with one of my homies, his name is Mark Lowe and he is one of the Monsters & Strangerz. He is part of the writing and production team that I’m apart of and Mark’s phone, he got a tweet saying congratulations to Eskeerdo, you know on his first Grammy and he told me. I ran out of Costco. I didn’t even pay, but then once the dust settles, I’m he kind of person be like okay cool lets go get another one. You know and then that’s just always my mentality. I can’t get comfortable. I work so hard for this. I’m almost scared that it will get taken away if I get comfortable, you know what I’m saying like, never again do I want to feel poor or feel like I’m not working hard enough. Like, my whole team, I got my whole team on their m**haf***in’ heels and on their toes I should say cause at any second I f***ing snap and be like, ‘we’re not doing s**t, we’re not f***ing…’ And be looked around and so many other people, even though we’re on a smaller scale of things, but just so many artists would f***in’ kill to be in the position I’m in, but it’s crazy how sometimes we just gotta sit back and stop thinking how far we gotta go and realize how far we’ve come.

RESPECT.: Right, that’s true. So what was your transition like from songwriter to artist?

Eskeerdo: My transition was less hours of sleep. That was the transition because I’m still full-time songwriter, full-time artist, you know. You’ve ever given something 100% twice, which is its kinda tough. It was easy once I found what I wanted to sound like, you know shout out to Imfamous, he executive produces all my stuff, you know one of my best friends. He helped me mold my sound and really find myself. It was a tough process, but now I know what I’m supposed to sound like, you know comfortable on the mic and conceptionally what I want to speak about and just opening up on an overall factor was tough for me cause again I was so mentally trained to think like other people. I forgot to think for myself almost. Once I broke down that barrier it was just easy. Now I can literally turn it on and off. I can go a session and write for Maroon 5, leave there and go do some s**t for me, you know what I’m saying.

RESPECT.: You definitely have a unique sound.

Eskeerdo: Oh thank you.

RESPECT.: Your sound has, from your self-titled EP to now. So I know your self-titled EP last year was more of your story, kinda like your introduction to who you are. So how do you think your sound has evolved from that point to now? You think that it has changed?

Eskeerdo: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah it’s definitely changed and the project after this one is gonna change too, like again I just I definitely incorporated more melody in “Cuban Jesus” that’s coming out soon. My first EP “Eskeerdo,” what I really wanted to do was leave a gem so when people fell in love with the brand name Eskeerdo they can go back and hear the story, you know what I’m saying. Definitely more feel good music. You know it’s evolved into, not so hard and aggressive. Definitely more for the women. You know, I like women. I wanted to do some things for them and obviously in the head space I was in I was around a different kind of lifestyle. I was experiencing new things. I went to Europe, I was out there for 30 days. You know country hoping. I was fortunate to do that. You know, tasting all types of flavors. If you know what I mean, everywhere else. I just wanted to write about it and so “Cuban Jesus” is definitely more for the females.

RESPECT.: Okay, yeah absolutely and I definitely read that you said that it was more female-friendly this time around. Can we still get the Latin-influenced, still gonna kinda hear that in it too?

Eskeerdo: Yeah, 100% of course. I mean that’s me. Not matter what you’re gonna get that. I gotta song called “Rich” on there that has that same “Hurting Feelings” style vibe. You know it’s hype, but it’s definitely Latin influenced. I gotta song called “Loco” produced by Boy Wonder who is definitely Latin influenced. It’s still stuff there for the original fans. It’s also, so the original fans are gonna love it, we’re just gonna pick up some new ones on the way.

RESPECT.: Absolutely. Well what would you say between the two projects, which one would you say that you’re most passionate about or are they both just as equal?

Eskeerdo: Hell yeah, I mean it’s crazy cause my first project to me was like man, like its my entire story, you know what I’m saying. Then this project is definitely more like what’s going on today. You know, so, they’re kinda like yeah they both have my heart you know, but it’s just that they’re different emotions. I was thinking different creating them both so it’s like if I had one whole heart, well I have one heart, but it’s like I have two hearts, if that makes any sense. I love them all equally with everything, I just want to wrap my arms around both of them and hold them forever, like really I listen to my albums over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over; like I really don’t listen to anything else anymore, just listen to me.

RESPECT.: (Laughs) So they’re like your babies that you just want to listen to and just want to hold and keep forever?

Eskeerdo: Yeah and it’s even songs that are never gonna come out I just listen to over and over and over.

RESPECT.: Wow. That’s amazing. So why did you choose to title it Cuban Jesus? Where did that title come from?

Eskeerdo: To be honest, it’s the women’s fault why I call it “Cuban Jesus.” Everywhere I went, girls were like, ‘Jesus, Jesus,’ cause of my hair and I just be like girl I can save you, let me put this hand on you. You know, it really started off as a joke, but then it kinda like I just ran with it as far as you know the whole “Cuban Jesus” aspect. I mean, I don’t know what the man looked like, but they’re saying I look like him.

RESPECT.: You do have that flowing hair.

Eskeerdo: You know, the bible said he had hair of wool, these are luxirious locs that I got, you know what I’m saying.

RESPECT.: (Laughs)

Eskeerdo: You know, but I just ran with it and since it’s more female based; I don’t want to say that I’m saving these females, but I can, you know, if I really want to.

RESPECT.: Absolutely. Well what was your inspiration, well speaking of at the beginning of the call you spoke about your weekend behavior. What was your inspiration behind the videos for your first single Weekend Behavior? I know it’s part 1 and part 2. The location was absolutely beautiful.

Eskeerdo: Oh thank you.

RESPECT.: And it looked like the best party ever. (Laughs)

Eskeerdo: It was very, very good time.

RESPECT.: So what was the story behind that? What was your inspiration for the video?

Eskeerdo: Well, you know shout out to Deep Sleep for shooting the Saturday version and shout out to Derick G at Center Stream for shooting the Sunday version. What happened was, I just really wanted to show two perspectives of my weekend behavior basically; so in Miami you don’t know what you gon’ get. You know, if it’s raining you stay inside and ya drink ya call some people over and ya have fun. If it’s not raining you go out, ya call some people over and you have fun, you know so realistically that’s what happens. So Saturday for me it’s more of a low-key kinda night cause Thursday and Friday I’m always out, ya know turning up. So Friday I like to keep it a little more low-key, I mean yes I was with two women, but to me that’s low-key, you know so.. Sunday, it just embodies a culture that’s never described in Miami, you know. Which is the boat and jet ski culture. Nixon, every Sunday is popping..

RESPECT.: Wow.

Eskeerdo: ..every Sunday! Like I said, if it’s not raining, it’s 100, 200, 300 boats out there. So what we did was, like Derick G, you know Derick G is world renowned in this city. He is what they call the ask-God and the ask God basically put up a flyer saying, ‘yo we throwing a Weekend Behavior party at Nixon,’ and all the booty in the world showed up so we had a good time.

RESPECT.: Wow. That’s amazing. So that was real?

Eskeerdo: No, no, no that was real! That wasn’t staged, that was a real fucking party and that’s why that video was shot in moments, you know what I’m saying. Like, we’re just literally having fun, drunk, half-naked women everywhere, and you know partying, throwing water. We couldn’t even use half of the footage cause the cameras all got wet. Yeah, so literally all the lenses had sand and water on everything. There is an uncut version of the video..

RESPECT.: I’m afraid of that. (Laughs)

Eskeerdo: (Laughs) I’m afraid too. That is video is gonna get some people divorced, you know left..

RESPECT.: Wow.

Eskeerdo: ..into some trouble, some craziness there. From what I heard there were school teachers out there, there were all types of stuff; but that’s what happens in Miami, like when you from down here the turn up is real. That’s why when I go anywhere else I be like man y’all don’t party, you know what I’m saying, let’s party foreal.

RESPECT.: Wow, so you still live there?

Eskeerdo: In Miami, yeah I still live in Miami.

RESPECT.: Wow, that’s amazing. So that’s your normal weekend behavior then?

Eskeerdo: Yeah, so that’s the thing my weekend is like a 7 day weekend.

RESPECT.: Oh wow, that’s amazing!

Eskeerdo: Yeah, like just yesterday, this weekend I was at the FontaineBleau, you know where Liv is. We rented, had a suite up there and you know had some fun with some lovely ladies; and you know enjoyed Club Liv. On Sunday night, it was Miami swim week so you can imagine the quality of, the caliber of women that were in town. It was very nice and we all enjoyed it. Everyone had a good time.

RESPECT.: Well ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Eskeerdo: So yeah, my life is a non-stop turn up, yes! I have to say yes! I’m always tired. I feel like I haven’t slept in years.

RESPECT.: Oh my. So you need to get some sleep.

Eskeerdo: Hell naw! The money don’t sleep! You can’t sleep! The money don’t sleep!

RESPECT.: (Laughs)

Eskeerdo: It’s gonna’ be somebody else counting your paper!

RESPECT.: I know that’s right, you gotta get that! Definitely gotta get that! So do we have an official release date for Cuban Jesus?

Eskeerdo: No, I mean realistically it’s ready. It’s mixed, it’s mastered. I can drop it tomorrow realistically, but I don’t know. I’m super impulsive and even though everything is mapped out and strategized, you never know with me to be honest. I might wake up in two weeks, in two days, in two hours and be like, ‘aight we putting it out, get everybody on the phone, let’s do it!’

RESPECT.: Wow, so are you holding on to it for a reason?

Eskeerdo: I’m holding it because we’re pushing, we’re still working “Weekend Behavior” throughout radio and I don’t want the focus to come off of “Weekend Behavior” just yet.

RESPECT.: Okay.

Eskeerdo: To be honest, I can tell you that the second single is called, “Hia Hamptons.”

RESPECT.: And what is that about?

Eskeerdo: Well, “Hia Hamptons” is basically me being from Hialeah, but we treat it like the Hamptons. You know, everybody, all the rich folks they go party at the Hamptons so we turn the hood into the Hamptons basically.

RESPECT.: Okay, I like that.

Eskeerdo: It’s like, ‘I ain’t got a mansion, but I got a room that’s big enough to dance in, we can make it happen..’ You know so…

RESPECT.: Okay, absolutely. So what would you say would be your legacy? What do you want your legacy to be that you leave behind when it’s all said and done?

Eskeerdo: Well hopefully you know, besides a bunch of awards and a company that runs itself basically and where my kids could, which I don’t have kids yet, but can inherit and still be living good and feeding their families. Besides that I just want to let everybody know that no matter the circumstance it doesn’t mean that the outcome is gonna be what the statistic says it’s gonna be. You know, I just want to show everybody that no matter what you can make your dreams come true if you work hard. Like, that’s my legacy as far as that. That’s why I want to open that school. I really just want to educate the youth and be like, ‘listen, this is the kid that came from the same streets as you, you know, who made something of himself and you can do it too.’ That’s really what I want. If I can do it, you can do it! That’s some real sh**.

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