What’s your stage name and where are you from?
My stage name is EJ Swavv, and I’m from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
What’s the story behind your stage name?
Lol, well this is around the time when everyone was saying swag with two G’s (Swagg). My name was Big Eaze at that time, but I wanted a change because there were so many Eazy’s in the world, even locally. So I was with my best friend at school, and we were brainstorming in between classes. I said I could use EJ because my first name is Eric and my middle name is John. Then I said, I don’t wanna use Swagg; I want something smoother. My best friend suggested Suave but spelled it Swavv with two V’s!
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
It has been a bunch of trial and error. I’ve spent a lot of time exploring and experimenting. It’s been a process where I’ve never been complacent—I always want to grow.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
With “Fake Love” (the live version), the engineer was supposed to meet us to help set up and record at the studio, but he fell sick. So… we had to figure it out ourselves on a rig we weren’t familiar with. But we got it done, and it made a great memory for us.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
It’s okay to love God and still talk about real-life experiences! I just want to share light!
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
There was a point in time when I thought my beats were dope, and I was sending them to people. One of my talented friends, who is an artist, told me, “Bro, not trying to be rude, but you have to update your sound.” I was hurt at first, but it pushed me to work harder than ever. That feedback helped me in the long run, and I’ll forever be grateful for that lesson.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
T-Pain. He has been a big inspiration for me as a producer and artist.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
To a national award show!
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
Collaborating with named artists that can lead me to the next phase!
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, any major platform—just search EJ Swavv.
What is the best way to contact you if fans want to give feedback or if other artists/producers want to collaborate?
Instagram: @ej_swavvbeats
