Within minutes of shaking hands in central London on a sunny Monday morning in July, Erick the Architect tells me that he doesn’t like talking about himself. Within minutes of stating such, he is ardent in the fact that he’s sick of being overlooked. A slant wall of irony appears; no one is spoken about if they do not first speak of themselves, leaving the rapper, producer, composer and designer in a treacherous purgatory of egotism. Now though, as his career has progressed – many scenes deep yet nowhere near a climax – Erick has accepted that, sometimes, you just have to do things you don’t want to.

Notorious for his work as the convention-defying producer of the revolutionary trio Flatbush Zombies, Erick has long been an essential cog in the inner workings of US hip hop. Following the inception and consolidation of an artistic dynasty, Erick found himself as one third of one of the most established, explorative and respected hip hop acts in the world.

Such an esteemed accolade came as a double edge-sword in a sense, with Erick finding himself in the spotlight whilst simultaneously in the shadows. Not one to force an agenda of self, Erick found himself “diluting some of the things that [he] was doing,” adding, “It makes me uncomfortable to talk about myself a lot. When you are like that, it puts you to the back of conversations a lot of the time.” Atop that, the sensory overload of the Zombies, the overt and surrealist mania of their sound and aesthetic gave fans a certain preconception of Erick – “10 years ago, people thought I was a drug addict. [sniggers] I’ve never been a drug addict bro, I grew up in church!”

Now though, Erick has grown fierce in his dexterous individualism; never bitter about being overlooked, he’s instead planted in defiance. He wants to look forward, not behind him. The topic of Flatbush Zombies is a mere flirtation in our conversation; instead we dissect his move from the shade of Flatbush’s musical empire into the soaring sunlight of self identity. “Anything that you want to do, people will think you’re crazy,” he chuckles. “But that delusion is healthy when you believe in something; it helps you realise that you are serious about what you’re trying to do. I think that for a long time I was too humble, which stopped me from being really widely respected.”

So, fresh off the back of “PARKOUR”, his newly released stellar collaboration with James Blake, and whispers of a debut solo album floating around the atmosphere, how did Erick essentially rewrite his own narrative and reinvent his own character? Well, he stopped being so nice.

“I felt like I needed to tap into my villain. All my idols, they aren’t the most loved people – I wanted to embody some parts of me that are my alter ego,” he states. “The tone of much of my music previously was very empathetic – like I’m healing too, it’s okay to cry… I’m not saying that I don’t cry, but I’m saying that I don’t need to tell the same story over and over again. The scope of music has to change, and I have to be one of the people that pushes the culture forward so people don’t become complacent with seeing the same things. I think that a lot of people are scared to take the risk.”

Erick loves the UK scene. He picks surprising names when we discuss the city, speaking passionately about them in a way that is unbeknownst to the average shepherd of modern US rap. He’s worked with Pip Millett, Sophie Faith and Loyle Carner amongst others; when I questioned why, he offered, “I know the relevancy of Central Cee, Dave, whatever… but I went for artists that are budding artists that deserve the exposure. I work with artists because I think they are exceptionally talented, not because of their exposure.”

Thanks to his Blake-produced new single, the subject of how the two ended up working together was hot on my mind, and swiftly on the agenda. On the face of it, it’s an unlikely crossover, so I query on the birth of such an intriguing relationship. When explaining how they met, Erick unleashes a winding, heart warming story involving a hernia, a live show and a wheelchair, and from then it has become a bromance for the ages, the naturalism of their bond suddenly seeming apparent to me. “If it wasn’t for him [pauses] – I’m not sure that he would like me to say this – I wouldn’t have the confidence I have today,” he admits”. “He told me I’m as good of a rapper as I am a producer. He made me see that people’s perception can change, you’ve just got to change the formula.”

The pair’s synergy of character has translated into a musical output in the most decadent of manners. The new single sees Blake flaunt the very best of his production nuance on a beat that surprises and consumes, with Erick instinctively playful in his delivery and lyrical approach, bouncing off the musical intricacies in a way that suggests a deeper mutual understanding than pure sonics.

Erick tells me that the pair have countless tracks together, so I ponder why this was the specific track that felt right to be unveiled to the public ear. “The “PARKOUR” melody,” he gasps. “The way [Blake] was playing that, the way he structures and organises… he’s a freak man. He goes on to explain why he technically thinks it’s so impressive, excitedly humming out the cadence of Blake’s melody whilst maintaining enthusiastic levels of eye contact with me. “PARKOUR” is a shift from Erick’s previous solo work, a statement of intent and an elucidation of the artistic excellence that Erick boasts and will undoubtedly continue to uphold.

Several side roads later, we find ourselves nearing our final destination. Concluding my musings, we dwell on future ambitions. “I think the biggest impact that I can make is if people look at me like a Samaritan, and think of me outside of rap music,” he manifests. “There’s associations with it that I don’t like. Not only am I a rapper, I’m a musician and I’m a designer. I want people to respect me for all the things that I am, not the way that I look.”

In the hour or so we spent together, Erick has inspired in me an evaluation of self, artistry and society in a manner that I’ve grown not to expect from an interview, especially on a Monday morning. As he looks forward to the brightest days of his career, Erick’s multifaceted nature flows into one coherent stream of character, comfortable between legacy and endeavour.

He is architecting his own story, living up to his name.