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Singer/songwriter Eric Bellinger has put out 27 projects since 2010, on top of writing hit songs for Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Usher, and Trey Songz. Now he is accomplishing a new personal and professional milestone by hooking up with his best friend and business partner Nieman Johnson to put out their new album Optimal Music. In this episode of Day 1 Radio, the two of them talk about their journey as independent artists, the pros and cons of creating during quarantine, and what they really think about those Versuz battles.

9:00 - Eric says he "doesn\'t wait to create" so that\'s why he\'s been able to become one of the most, if not the most prolific artists in the industry. Nieman credits it to his innate\\xa0ability to articulate what\'s in his head, as well as being able to learn from industry vets on the songwriting side early on.

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13:00 - Eric says the streaming era has been more beneficial\\xa0to him than the CD age. He compares the days of having to press up his own mixtapes to simply uploading it to Soundcloud and Youtube.

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16:25 - Eric says because he and Nieman were friends\\xa0before entering the music industry is why they\'ve been able to stick together in it.\\xa0

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20:15 - Pros and cons of releasing music during a quarantine. Pro: everybody is at home and has a chance to see it when it drops. Con: Not being able to do press runs and shoot videos. Nieman also explains why having a song on the radio is still a big deal, even in the internet/streaming era. Eric reveals that he would rather spend marketing dollars on social media promotion.\\xa0

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25:30 - Eric isn\'t bothered by the fact that his music isn\'t necessarily at "household" status yet. He says he knows it\'s not because of his talent, but because of everything around the music industry and the politics of creating a hit record. He also talks about building his "Bellringer" fan base.

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32:00 - Eric talks about wanting to work with fellow Compton native Kendrick Lamar, but understanding why there needs to be a good reason and a good look for both parties for it to happen. He also talks about working with Nipsey Hussle early in both in their careers.

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37:00 - Nieman and Eric created "Malibu Nights" to give artists an opportunity to showcase their talents in a battle format. Eric says he would definitely go against any other songwriters in a Versuz battle.\\xa0