Front Row - Young Dapper

Dapper----adjective: 1. Neat, trim, smartly dressed; 2. lively and brisk; 3. Small, active.

That is the dictionary meaning for the word dapper, but those definitions can easily describe the newest You Tube sensation, Young Dapper, a 13 year-old force from Boston who  is looking to be a sensation past your PC’s with his music and more. Dapper, whose real name is Eric Mathis immediately comes across to be mature beyond his years.  During our conversation we discuss how he broke into the business at a young age, his musical ambitions and some of his best experiences as a musician to date:

Tell us about how you were discovered?

When I was 9 every day before I would go to school, my mother would say to me “come on Eric, sing a song.” So she would record me and put me on YouTube, until QC Funk (his producer), saw me and gave us a call to come down and audition. I did, and I’ve been with him ever since.

QC Funk has worked with some of the bigs in this business (Teddy Riley, Julez Santana, and Lil Kim just to name a couple). How has it been working with him, having him taking you under his wing?

 I’ve been learning a lot from him…..A LOT( Dapper says excitedly) he’s been like a father, an uncle to me. He will tell me what can go wrong in the business, he just leads me in the right direction. Some people will only tell you the right things about the business, he will tell me everything I need to know to put me in the right position.

Most kids don’t like to perform for their parents, how did you feel initially when your mom asked you to perform on the camera for YouTube?

I liked it. It never bothered me because I love to sing and rap, so when she asked me, I was like fine I’ll do it. I would take a song and learn it in a couple of days and have fun with it. I just love to sing.

How has it been recently, dealing with all of your responsibilities, your friends, your classmates?

It’s been easy and hard. Easy in that I’m around some people I’ve known since kindergarten (he’s now in 7^th grade), and they have been very positive and very supportive. Hard because there are people who are haters, and girls who you don’t know if they like you for you. But my friends are around me because of who I am, not what I could become

Do you think this will become more work than fun?

Yeah, once I actually get in the business, it will become more work for me than fun. It will be I will need to learn a song, or a script within 24-48 hours, that’s when it becomes more work, and I need to have a focus and get that thing that needs to get done. Sometimes it will be fun, when I interact with the fans, and I’m out performing. I think when I become older that’s when it will be more of work.

What do you want us to know about your music?

I just want everyone to listen to my music, especially adults, because if they listen to it and approve, then they will let their kids listen to it, and it will be easier for me to get everyone to listen to my music. I want to make music for the little kids, the teenagers and the adults. I want to catch everyone’s attention and have them listen and enjoy my music.

Who do you listen to? Who do you look up to musically?

I idolize a lot of people, but Chris Brown, is the one I idolize the most. I feel a connection to him since my background and his background are similar. The way he acts and the way he grew up, I feel this connection to him like I said before.

You’re from Boston, so I have to ask about the comparison between you and New Edition. What about that? And what about you having met one of the founding members, Michael Bivens?

I was 10-11 years old when I auditioned for Mike, being the only young kid there. At first I didn’t know he was a star until people told me, but he was impressed with me and wanted to hook me up with this older kid who was there, but nothing ever happened, and I haven’t heard from him since. Which is cool, I just appreciated the time he did spend with me, and maybe I will see him in the future.

So you haven’t heard from Bivens after that initial meeting?

No, not really, but I don’t take that to heart, I don’t worry about that. If someone says they are going to do something, and they don’t do it, you just have to move on, and can’t hold back. Because if you do hold back, then your career isn’t going to go anywhere waiting for that one person, who may never do what he or she said they were going to do. You just want to move ahead, just go, go, go!

I have been interviewing people your age for a long time, and have rarely been as impressed by someone with the maturity that you have at your age.

I just saw a lot of things at a young age. It was based on family issues, such as my father not around for me. So I had to take a stand and as the oldest of three kids, I had to take control of the family while my mom was working. Even though things are better now, I feel I still need to be there for my mom. Even though I love to perform, and love doing interviews I am quiet and don’t really do a lot of things.  Yes, I do feel that I am mature, 13, but I act like I’m 15-16. I see my maturity as a blessing and as a talent.

Talk about your CD that’s about to drop.

The new CD will be called “CLASSIC”, we are going to do old songs from groups like New Edition. I just want to bring a different sound, a new point of view to those who listen to my music. I want them to listen to something that’s not the same ol’ stuff. I know some of the new songs are hot, but I want people listen to something that’s hot and different. No one is doing old school songs, so I want to bring that to people’s attention. I just want to show kids, that there’s  always a different way to do things, you don’t have to “follow the crowd” you know.

You did something different this past spring, performing for this festival that was put on by Diggy Simmons, what was that experience like?

Oh that was the best performance ever! And the crowd was like WOW! That was the most attention I’ve ever gotten.  I wasn’t even well-known, and people are still hitting me up on Facebook asking me when am I coming back? Some people said I did better than DIggy (he says in amazement). People were dancing to my songs, I did five songs in a row. It was simply me going out and having fun. It was one of the best days of my life