Lega-c

Lega-c (Eric A. Smith) was born December 14, 1990 in Prince Georges County, MD. Most of his childhood was spent enjoying the company of friends and family until the 5th grade where he discovered his passion for music. He wrote his first rap song “Titanium Man”, which was a fast paced juvenile rhyme about absolutely nothing. To this day he still looks back at that rhyme and laughs at the lyrics. From that simple rhyme Lega-c (then “Lil E“) continued to expand his library of written rhyme but never recorded any of it until the 9th grade when he formed a small group with some of his peers that attended his “Music Theory” class. The setup consisted of a small laptop and the built in mic. The group had to deal with ambient noise and sub par recording quality but still managed to have fun with their music and gain straight A’s in the class.

As the years passed Lega-c drifted away from this group and started working as a solo artist and stepped his recording and lyrical content up. During this time Lega-c graduated from high school and entered Bowie State University where he attended classes and met his first college friend and soon to be business partner Terrell “TreQues” Robinson. Together they formed Good Life Entertainment and released Lega-c’s debut mixtape “The SmarTrip Chronicles“. This mixtape did very well in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area considering the circumstances. This was a new label and a new artist that basically created a buzz for himself. Later, Lega-c and TreQues would go on to rename the company “F.R.E.S.H. Entertainment“, which stood for Fly Rebels Establishing Successful Heights. This name change brought new opportunities and new acquisitions to the company which included Artists, Producers, Graphic Designers and many more who saw the potential in the company and wanted to be on board what was sure to be a enlightening ride. Presently, Lega-c is still with F.R.E.S.H Entertainment and has several projects and collaborations he plans to release in the future.

We had the chance to speak one-on-one with Lega-c recently to learn more about his musical aspirations. Check the interview below.

DMVIXEN.COM: First of all, what made you choose the name Lega-c?
Lega-c: The name Lega-c was actually given to me by a friend when I was in Middle school, we were supposed to be a rap group and “Lil E” (my previous name) was far too common back then. This was the era of Lil Bow Wow and Lil Romeo. So he came up with the name “Legacy”. Of course I had to come up with some weird, ignorant spelling for it and chose “Lega-c” as the final name. With a lowercase “c” so it would still look like one word.

DMVIXEN.COM: LOL @ “weird, ignorant spelling”
Lega-c: Well it is. (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: I find that to be a bit of a contradiction – seeing how you’re pursuing higher education.
Lega-c: Well back in middle school all I wanted to do was be a rapper. My grades were great actually, but that was my focus. I consider myself more of an artist than a rapper now and that has allowed me to be more focused on my work and just be a connoisseur of the rhythmic lyrical arts on the side

DMVIXEN.COM: That was actually my next question; you’ve always emphasized that you’re an “artist, not rapper”; why is it so important that you make that distinction?
Lega-c: Well as we all know, throughout the years the term rapper has often been categorized as a thug or gangster with no respect for authority and what is right. Many of these “rappers” express all of this in their music and are considered outlaws in the society we live in. As for me, I am none of those. In fact, I am the complete opposite. My lyrics never bring a negative light to my people and my culture. I try to uplift people as much as possible because we (meaning the black race) are still the minorities in this country and have a history of bondage and pain. A lot of our people kill each other and are in jail. That is just modern day bondage and pain. I cannot be that. Oh… also… When I say I’m an artist it sounds way more exquisite than rapper. (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: (laugh) nicely put – and you’re right on that last bit… more Da Vinci than say… JT Money (laugh)
Lega-c: Exactly! (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: Ok, so you very well know that this interview will be published next month.
Lega-c: Word? … Dope

DMVIXEN.COM: You’re one of the lucky few who know far in advance that they will be the next Artist in Focus.
Lega-c: Wow… Thank you!

DMVIXEN.COM: Oh don’t play coy… we’ve had our eye on you for a while over here… but care to relay how that makes you feel as an up-and-coming artist?
Lega-c: That makes me feel great! As an up-and-comer, especially in this area, you try to get as much exposure as you can and in turn help those who’ve helped you. I try to make as many connections as I can because you never know who can help you in any situation.

DMVIXEN.COM: Yes indeed – networking is everything, and you definitely seem to be making some good connections.
Lega-c: Oh believe me I try to. Because in this field it doesn’t matter what you do anymore or how good you are at it, or even who you know. It’s about who knows you.

DMVIXEN.COM: That’s true – sad, but true. With that in mind and the current state of the music industry: A lot of unsigned artists have pretty much given up on their label dreams. What do you ultimately hope to achieve in your musical career?
Lega-c: Lets see. My ultimate place would be on a level of my fellow DMV artist Tabi Bonney. He has several albums which did big numbers, has his own video shooting company, and has never let a pen touch a paper to get signed. Basically all the money he makes is his and is enough to let him live a comfortable lifestyle doing exactly what he wants without being bothered with big label executives and drama within the music industry. That’s where I want to be, forget all the huge stardom. I want to be able to take care of my family and do what I love without worrying about somebody one day dropping me from a label or getting into an incident where I lose support.

DMVIXEN.COM: There’s definitely a pattern to the effect of the latter – a la Chris Brown – who is going through a tough time right now.
Lega-c: Exactly, see I still support Chris because we all make mistakes and only God can judge someone, I am in no way shape or form any better than anybody. But he lost endorsements many fans and even radio support.

DMVIXEN.COM: And in an industry where visibility equals cash-flow, its easy to see how that’s a problem. Ok. So, you’ve been putting in a lot of work – dropping 2 mixtapes in close succession: The SmarTrip Chronicles – which I heard did pretty well in terms of downloads – and Postcards From The Snowed In. SmarTrip 1.12 was supposed to drop at the end of April, what happened?
Lega-c: Well basically SmarTrip 1.12 was supposed to drop April 30th, but the day of release the computer with the final mix on it decided to stop working. So basically we could be waiting another 2 or 3 weeks before it sees the light of day. Blame GeekSquad at this point not me! But in order to keep everyone in tune with whats going on I will be dropping a track off of it soon just to keep myself and everyone else content as we wait for them to tinker through my computer to find what the problem is.

DMVIXEN.COM: Damn GeekSquad couldn’t fix it? I’m about to cancel my 2 year subscription then… (laugh)
Lega-c: (laugh) Nah, they’re still fixing it… 2 week waiting period though.

DMVIXEN.COM: While we’re waiting for the full mixtape, can you tell us some of the production credits?
Lega-c: Wow, let’s see: There is production from JMistro, Tone Setter, Vibe Productions and several other producers who skip my mind at the moment. Sorry guys!

DMVIXEN.COM: (laugh) That’s ok – you’ve got a few weeks you can send them to me if you don’t wanna hurt their feelings
Lega-c: Bet will do

DMVIXEN.COM: Any noteworthy collaborations or is this gonna be 100% Lega-c?
Eric: There are A LOT of collaborations on SmarTrip 1.12 (The Purple Line). Basically the entire tape is songs that were left out or completed shortly after “The SmarTrip Chronicles”. Also there are some of the originals most popular tracks including “PoLyrically Correct” and “So Good”. Also in the new songs there are collaborations with 3 F.R.E.S.H. Entertainment artist (The indie label I am signed to) These are Marco, Dubb B and Idris. Other than the in house collaborations there are collaborations with Darren Hanible, iLL Prophet, Magnum Dollar$ and Daasair

DMVIXEN.COM: Nice, it’s good to see that you guys are so willing to work with each other since I hear there is so much “hate” in the DMV. So also on the topic of collabs, who do you hope to work with in the future that you haven’t already?
Lega-c: There are several people I plan to work with in the future. Nike Nando, Lyriciss, Tangie, Hassani Kwess, Chris Barz and Pro’Verb to name a few.

DMVIXEN.COM: It would be hot to get you all on one track. Any chance of that or would that be some top secret classified level 6 clearance required type information? (laugh)
Lega-c: You know what, that actually could happen. I think I’mma have to make it happen. And they can’t deny it, because it’s posted here and if they deny the Vixen all hell will break loose!

DMVIXEN.COM: So we’re on the same page then (laugh)
Lega-c: Yep!

DMVIXEN.COM: Now, the single that you’re currently pushing is “Typical” from SmarTrip 1.12 (The Purple Line). Much respect for the shoutout by the way!!!! Is that song really a typical day in the life of Eric Smith?
Lega-c: It is exactly how a normal day goes for me. The story in the first verse was completely factual. The second verse is pretty obvious because I’m always on twitter. And the Third verse pretty much sums it all up. Even the checklist is what I would normally wear on a cool PG county day. It’s all me! 100%

DMVIXEN.COM: See I already liked that track a lot, but to confirm the authenticity of the lyrics makes me like it even more… And you do spend hella time on twitter (laugh) with your 4 billion tweets
Lega-c: 4 billion and one last time I checked (laugh). And as you probably know it is my release for everything random. It is my stream of consciousness per se. Plus I think I’m addicted (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: You and everyone else (laugh)
Lega-c: (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: Do you plan to release any videos for tracks from SmarTrip 1.12?
Lega-c: I have been planning a video for Typical since the first “SmarTrip” but could never find the right videographer and when I did, my funds were on Negative Ballin. So eventually that will be done, but I probably will do some low budget simple shoots for a couple other tracks besides “Typical”

DMVIXEN.COM: I don’t think anyone expects you to bust out Hype Williams to direct it… but I think a video would be a good look.
Lega-c: If I bust out Hype Williams I’mma prolly get a bunch of hate mail and “hook me up tweets”… So I might just have to work with Slightly Excited Williams.

DMVIXEN.COM: (laugh) That is truly hilarious!
Lega-c: (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: Ok… Tell us some more about F.R.E.S.H Entertainment and the artists on the roster right now.
Lega-c: F.R.E.S.H. Entertainment stands for Fly Rebels Establishing Successful Heights. It is an indie label began by me and a friend of mine that goes to school with me named Terrell “TreQues” Robinson. He has a solid business plan and I have the smarts and connections to make it work. Some of the artists on the label include Dubb B, Marco, Idris and Domo aka Gogo Domo. We all have different sounds and types of music we put out so every time you hear us it will be a fresh experience!

DMVIXEN.COM: Ah dope acronym… I’m excited to hear what you guys as a unit have to offer.
Lega-c: You will be hearing that as soon as I get to drop this mixtape!

DMVIXEN.COM: So are there any DMV Rebels projects coming down the pipe, meaning you and the notorious DJ Torkaveli? Is he on SmarTrip 1.12 (The Purple Line) at all?
Lega-c: There may be some DMV Rebels projects coming down the line both of us have been busy with our own individual work and haven’t even had to chance to think about another project. It wouldn’t surprise me though, Torkaveli has a knack for throwing my music on random mixtapes! (laugh) And , no, he is not on SmarTrip 1.12 (The Purple Line) this time around.

DMVIXEN.COM: I’m sure we’ll hear something outta you two some time this year – you work well together from what I can tell.
Lega-c: Oh, me and Torkaveli are constantly throwing insults at each other… [we] work well when we get down to business. (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: (laugh) Classic love/hate relationship. My the next question is pretty standard – but I gotta know: top 5 dead or alive??
Lega-c: In no particular order, my top five are: Biggie, Jay Z, Kanye West, Wale and Eminem. Honorable mention goes to Lega-c because I think he’s pretty cool.

DMVIXEN.COM: (laugh) I won’t question the top 5 it was out of sheer curiosity.
Lega-c: ahh ok. (laugh)

DMVIXEN.COM: And I’m inclined to agree that Lega-c is pretty cool as well.
Lega-c: Thanks!

DMVIXEN.COM: You’re welcome. The reason I asked though is because I can’t hear your influences just through listening to your music – which is a testament to your abilities. Usually people emulate their influences, so kudos to you.
Lega-c: You know what, Thank You. I try not to place myself near anybody else, I have yet to hear I sound like anybody so I guess it’s working!

DMVIXEN.COM: Yes it’s refreshing to say the very least. Last question: What’s the one thing that you want people to take away from your music? (if you can choose just one)
Lega-c: One thing I want people to take away from my music is that no matter where or when you hear it that you know I’m completely honest in my lyrics and I had fun doing it. Point. Blank. Period. In the end I hope they enjoy it as much as I did while making it.

DMVIXEN.COM: Wow. An honest response. I wasn’t necessarily expecting a particular answer but I’m used to reading so much BS from artists who want people to become damn near omniscient after listening to their music… so I appreciate your answer.
Lega-c: Always!

DMVIXEN.COM: So thanks for chatting with us… we’re definitely fans of your work and wish you much, much success!!!!
Lega-c: Thank you and I visit the site everyday it’s embedded in my bookmarks forever!

Lega-c can be reached at Twitter.com/Lega_c and legadashc@gmail.com. Feel free to contact him via email for any questions or concerns regarding features, new projects or anything that has to do with him assisting in expanding your musical library. - DMVIXEN.com

When we last left teenage music producer Jalen "JMistro" Thompson, he was in the middle of cranking out original work in a campaign he called "16 Days of Heat."


Thompson, who goes by the moniker JMistro, slowed down after creating 16 compositions, or "beats," but never stopped making music.

The 18-year-old Arundel High School senior last month released an online recording with his friend, Eric Smith, aka Lega-c, called "Pulling on Her Heartstrings." Eric, 20, is a sophomore studying computer science at Bowie State University. They met through social networking.

The seven songs and... - HometownAnnapolis.com