Eric Bobo is a man of many styles. The percussionist has worked with a large variety of artists, such as Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, and Ella Fitzgerald. Yet, few know that it all began when he was a youngin’. Born in Queens, NY and raised in Los Angeles, Bobo grew up under the influence of Latin jazz while making a name for himself in hip-hop. Although these two music genres may seem like an odd pair, this open-mindedness is what has distinguished Bobo from other aspiring musicians. The 40-year-old Puerto-Rican artist grew up working with Latin jazz icons, including Tito Puente and his late father, Latin jazz legend Willie Bobo. As he grew older, he transitioned to hip-hop, while never letting go of his Latin jazz foundation.
Bobo later auditioned for the Beastie Boys and ended up working with them on their national Check Your Head tour during the early 90’s. He soon recorded with them on their Ill Communication and Hello Nasty albums. Later in 1993, Bobo began working for Latin hip-hop group Cypress Hill as their percussionist, later becoming an official member in 1994. He has toured with them ever since.
Now, more than 10 years later, Bobo has branched off and released his first solo album this past November, titled
Meeting of the Minds. Currently, Bobo is in New York City working with different artists and has already headlined the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) at
Central Park Summerstage. In between his many appearances, Bobo talks to nocheLatina about working with the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill, going solo, as well as what he’d be doing if it weren’t for music.
nocheLatina: You released Meeting of the Minds this past November. What does the album title come from?
Eric Bobo: The title stems from me working with different people on the album- different artists, different genres, putting it all together, and seeing what comes out. Meeting of the Minds is a way to try to come up with something together-to be able to blend in different genres. You just really map it out the best way and put it all together. You come to a meeting of the minds, you know?
nocheLatina: You worked closely with the Beastie Boys and you’re a member of Cypress Hill. What was it like working with these two groups?
Eric Bobo: Wow, well working with the Beastie Boys was a really great opportunity. It was a lot of fun. I was able to learn a lot and I’m very proud of the music that we created together. With Cypress Hill, it’s the same way. I’ve been with them since ’93 and then became an official member in ’94. You’re talking about two iconic hip-hop groups. You can’t mention hip-hop without mentioning Cypress Hill and Beastie Boys. It’s been a great honor and privilege.
nocheLatina: Why did you choose to work on a solo project? Eric Bobo: I think there always come a time, especially when you’re part of a group for a long time, that you’d like to express yourself in a different way and do things on your own, as opposed to having to share ideas with two or three different guys and compromise. It was really about picking the time and the type of project-that was the key. It was about time to do something on my own, bring it back to the fold, and have fresh ideas.
nocheLatina: Do you think working with the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill has prepared you for your solo career?
Eric Bobo: I think that a little bit of influence came from them, along with my earlier work, working with my father, and working with different genres. I played with Tito Puente and other artists. A little bit of all that helped prepare me for doing a solo album.
nocheLatina: How would you describe your album as far as its sound?
Eric Bobo: It really touches on different styles. It definitely has a hip-hop base, but it also has its Latin flavor.
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