The Come Up: Eric Bellinger

After penning notable hits for Chris Brown and Justin Bieber, the singer/songwriter is stepping into the limelight.

Since inking a publishing deal with Sony in 2010, Eric Bellinger has steadily been on the rise. As a songwriter he has continued to strike gold with hits for the likes of Chris Brown (“Fine China,” “New Flame"), Usher (“Lemme See”) and Justin Bieber (“Right Here”), even going as far as to win a Grammy for his work on Brown’s album Fame. But now he’s breaking out as a solo artist.

In March, he released his debut album The Rebirth on 300 Entertainment. Lately, he has been keeping his buzz growing by riding the feature wave with guest appearances on songs by Ma$e (“Nothing”), The Game (“Oh Nah”) and DJ Mustard ("4 Digits").

Success has not come without controversy. Back in June the singer, songwriter and producer’s knack for melody landed him in the hot seat when Nicki Minaj questioned his production role on her smash hit "Anaconda." Never one to let the drama get him down, Eric kept pushing and is now preparing to drop a new mixtape on Oct. 1, entitled Choose Up Season.

We recently got the chance to chat with the 28-year-old Los Angeles native about following his dream to pursue music, his success as a songwriter, his new projects and his goals as a solo artist. Get to know Eric Bellinger in The Come Up. –As Told To Chris Garner

Previously: The Come Up: iLoveMakonnen
The Come Up: Raz Fresco
The Come Up: Ryshon Jones

 On Giving Up A Football Scholarship At USC For Music:

Eric Bellinger: Football was pretty much what I had been training for and  breeding, like going and playing Pop Warner football, playing high school football, all the all-star games. I actually got hurt in one of the all-star games. So, I was in the whole process of getting better and working on my knee and I went on a audition and pretty much made the audition and got in the group (AKNU) and we were immediately offered a deal to sign to Epic Records.

At the time, it was an easy choose up, but as time went on [and] watching football games, I missed it. I really missed the game and I didn’t even really watch football for a while. I’m barely starting to watch football now and people that know me know that football was everything for me but, it was like literally painful to watch football because I wanted to be out there so bad. So with the success that I’ve been having with music, I definitely don’t regret the choice I’ve made.

It was a big challenge for [to transition from football to music] because everything I had done in my life, it was all group activity, whether I was on a football team, I was on the basketball team, even in track I ran the relay race.

Going from the singing groups, having my brothers up on stage with me to actually being by myself up on stage, you know and all on eyes me, the spotlight on me that was tough. I was nervous at first. It was definitely a big transition. But then, once I started doing it and getting my rehearsals up and then I got dancers. It started feeling like I had my family up on stage with me again.

On Discovering Songwriting:

Eric Bellinger: I didn’t even know that I could write. I never tried to write. You know? My grandfather [Bobby Day] was actually a songwriter and he wrote songs for the Jackson 5 like “Rockin’ Robin,” “Little Bitty Pretty One” and its something that I guess it was just in my blood. I always had a sense for melody.

I started writing in January of 2010, and by April of 2010 I was already signed to Sony for my publishing. A childhood mentor of mine by the name of Erika Nuri, she always believed in my talent from when I was in singing groups. She would tell me like “Yo, you just need to be solo, you need to be doing your own thing and you need to be a writer.”

She actually had a joint venture with Sony so I signed to her company [The Writing Camp] and Sony as well in April. And she was like “I’m gonna just take a chance on you. I know that you have talent when it comes to the music and I’m gonna help you.” She actually taught me how to write songs. She taught me to format, from verse to B section, to chorus to hook to bridge. And once I figured out all the basics, my drive and my hunger was able to push me to try to be the best.

I took my time and made sure that I established a name for myself, on a song writing side because I was starting to gain so many different relationships, not only from the label and the A&Rs but from the artists as well. Nowadays the co-sign is a major part. With me being able to call on Usher or call on any of those other guys when I need help on my project, they’re a lot more open to do that, rather then just somebody who’s an artist on the grind. I’ve already helped them in ways for their career so they’re more open to helping me out.

On Working On Trey Songz’ Trigga And Chris Brown's X:

Eric Bellinger: Trey Songz got wind of the songs, heard them, loved them and was like, "I want to cut these for my next album." And of course we were super excited. When he cut them, I was excited to hear them because sometimes when I write songs artists just take it and do exactly what I did. Exactly, from the cadence, from the way I pronounce the words, the vowels that I use, or the ad-libs, the exact same thing. But it was dope to hear what Trey did to them. He really did his own spin and made the records his own.

For the Chris Brown songs, it was crazy because we did a camp for him. For like three months straight we were in the studio every single day. He was in one room, some writers would be in other rooms, producers would be in other rooms.

Verse Simmonds was actually in one of the rooms working on “New Flame” and he called me he went into my room like, “E, I got something, its crazy. Come help me out. Come listen to it. I want to hear what you think.” So when I went over there and heard it. I immediately went ahead and didn’t go back to my room 'cause that record was so special.

And the song, what it’s saying is a new take on starting a new relationship. I just liked his wordplay so much cause I’m super lyricist first, you know what I mean, as far as what’s the content. And then I came with my melodies and we were able to bounce back and forth on ideas. That was super dope.

I did a song called “Stereotype.” I did a song called “Add Me In,” “New Flame," “Love More.” And you got “Fine China.” So I got five joints on Chris' album.

On The Controversy Of His Work On Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda”:

Eric Bellinger: Basically, where it all went wrong, is I did an interview and I spoke upon it before Nicki did. I think as an artist she has every right to want to be the first person to speak on her record because it was her song as far as presenting it to the world and performing it. So for me, the creative, behind-the-scenes guy to speak up on it, really I was just answering some questions that they asked me and I thought that I kept it to a minimum but she was still offended by it and felt a certain way. But I still don’t feel like its right to take somebody’s credit away because you’re upset at the way it hit the streets.

I’m never gonna try to take credit for something I didn’t do so for her to be angry that I spoke on it is one thing, but for her to try to take my credit away for being there from the night before ‘til the sunrise, I definitely don’t think that’s fair. I was upset at first but now I look at it like whatever’s meant to be will be. I’m not trippin’. I got so many other songs coming out, it’s like, OK cool, you wanna trip? God got me.

On His Success As A Songwriter:

Eric Bellinger: I think the Grammy was a turning point for me mentally just because, like I said, I thought I was just passing time. Then it was like Best R&B album of the Year, Chris Brown. I had three songs on that album, so my contribution to Fame, it was dope to be recognized. It made me wake up and say, "OK, cool, I really need to start going in from than on."

I was really able to look at that 'cause as a songwriter that’s the biggest award you can get. It eally just made me pay attention and just challenge myself as far as on my projects because a lot of songwriters try to make the transition to artistry and the songs that they write for other artists are better than the songs that they write for themselves just because they’re just so use to giving away their music.

But for me it challenged me to be like, "OK, cool. If I’m a Grammy Award-winning songwriter when I write my songs they need to be crazy." Otherwise they will be like, "He just needs to stick to writing." So it’s a lot more pressure on me when I put my album out, but I love the pressure.

On Born II Sing Series:

Eric Bellinger: It actually came about initially to let my fans know that I’m not in a group anymore. You know they had seen me in a group so long. When I put out Born II Sing they were like, “Wait he’s not with the group, he’s by himself. What is this?” That’s pretty much how I announced it. Like bam! New project.

When they judge me they weren’t able to judge me off of my decision, they had to judge me off of my body of work. And the name Born II Sing, my mom always knew that. She had me singing in church when I didn’t necessarily want to sing or be on the program. Like I said, I was always trying to play football but my mom always knew.

I really used the writing thing to my advantage. I don’t just write songs, I try to write the best songs that people have ever heard. We came up with the company Your Favorite Song (YFS), and I really mean that when I’m writing a song. All of my songs, they got twists on them. I’m writing [about] the same subject that we’ve all heard about, just in a different way that hasn’t been heard before.

On What's Next:

Eric Bellinger: Choose Up Season is a mixtape that I’m putting out on Oct. 1. Every song on Choose Up Season is pretty much about the single life. Like every song is connected and the whole sole purpose of Choose Up Season is to market my album. That’s the thing now. Kanye had [his "Black Skinhead"] video up on all the buildings and everywhere. Beyoncé did no promos; she just released it, and Jay Z put out the album on Samsung.

For me, we used my talents as a songwriter to make a project to market my album. So at the end of the project, it says to be continued. So when they listen to that music they’re going to be constantly reminded that Cuffing Season is on the way, around Valentine’s Day.

I’ve been riding the wave of the feature so long that its I didn’t have to rush to put out a single because I’m still all over the radio with The Game single, the Ma$e single. I’m on DJ Mustard’s album with Fabolous, the song “Four Digits,” and I’m like, "You know we got time." Now, I got my single [“Focused On You”] about to come out as well as Choose Up Season and Cuffing Season.

I want to be known as like a Jay Z or a Drake or a Dr. Dre or Diddy because these guys are super influential. When Dr. Dre said, “There’s this kid named Kendrick who’s crazy.” People were paying attention to him. I wouldn’t say Dr. Dre made Kendrick but he put him in a light because he’s influential. When Jay Z says, “Yo, this is Rihanna,” he’s influential. When Diddy introduces Rick Ross he’s influential.

I want to be influential to the culture but I want to promote things that are uplifting to the culture and the generation. I look at it like you have to do your part and really try to help the generation and the culture and not continue to tear it down. I really want to help to spread a positive message.