“I'm just a Spanish rapper from Queens, that's trying to escape reality, but trapped in a dream.”

It's not often when a musical legend grants a new artist rites of passage. For Eric Sosa, this memorable moment became a reality when salsa icon Willie Colon attended the Urban Latino's Walk This Way concert last month. As an opening act for the star-studded event, Sosa stole the show with his performance of “Summer of Love,” so much so that it garnered Colon's attention. After the set, the two were introduced backstage and exchanged words, which resulted in a playful slap on Eric's cheek from the maestro, after the newbie told Colon his grandmother, would be thrilled.

“I'm just a Spanish rapper from Queens, that's trying to escape reality,” Sosa explains. “But [I'm] trapped in a dream.” Eric's musical pedigree began at age 6, where his passion was nourished as a percussionist in his school's marching band. By 7-years-old he was the lead snare, at 10, Sosa began to incorporate words with his instrumentals. His exposure to different genres of music helped to shape him into a versatile artist. By 2007, the rap rookie worked the NYC mixtape circuit after releasing his debut tape “Let the Pete Rock”- an ode to the legendary producer. Now, with the release of his second mixtape, “Rhyme & Noodle: No Artificial flavoring Vol.1” and with the “One You” tour in tow, the MC is giving fans a preview of his best work yet¬- his as-yet-untitled debut album, slated for the end of the year.

“A successful artist is one that has goals and accomplishes them. When it comes to making a record that actually has some content, many rappers are lacking [that element],” Sosa explains. “The fact that I'm actually lyrical [alone] helps me stand out [from the rest].” — Samantha Vargas