From a young age, Chicago rapper Eric Allen, who goes by the stage name Lil Eazzyy, never really had a place to call home.
House to house and city to city, Eazzyy’s life was always on the move. Even when his parents split around his preteen years, he bounced back and forth between his mom’s and dad’s houses.
Later in life, taking on the bigger, busier cities, Eazzyy went from Chicago to L.A. to Atlanta and is currently back in Chicago. Eventually, the southeast suburbs of Chicago became the closest thing to a stable home for Eazzyy.
The chaos of Eazzyy’s disorderly home life influenced the after-school activities he engaged in — chaos was his comfort.
He wasn’t just witnessing the rough streets of the Windy City; he was directly involved in them. Uncomfortably recalling his past, Eazzyy admitted he played with guns, sold and smoked drugs, participated in gang activity, was involved in shootouts, and took part in high-speed chases. It is these personal experiences that Eazzyy said fuel his musical storytelling.
“People gravitate to authenticity. That’s why my songs are just me and my life,” Eazzyy said.
Although Eazzyy began writing songs in his notes as an 8-year-old boy, it wasn’t until his senior year at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, when he was introduced to a mutual friend of a music engineer in his music class, that he began to truly value the art form.
But it’s about more than just the music. Eazzyy knows the connections, networking, and being involved throughout the production process are just as important.
The mic was his pen, and the recording booth was his diary. Eventually, he was at the studio every day, writing his own songs as an outlet of expressions, he said.
“At that age, we were recording music videos, too. The videographer also went to our school, so it was all easy and in-house,” Eazzyy said.
Knowing that he had no interest in furthering his education in college after high school, Eazzyy gave his music career everything he had.
“I put everything into my music—whether that was my time, energy, or whatever was in my pocket at the moment. Sometimes even having to ask my mom for $50 for studio time—whatever I could do just to get my music out there,” Eazzyy said. “It wasn’t a hassle for me. I didn’t have a problem doing all that. That’s what I wanted to do because I had something to prove. To prove not only to myself but to my parents and everybody else.”
Despite his parents' cautious doubts, Eazzyy took a risk and signed with Atlantic Records in 2020.
“Like any parents, they just wanted me to take the safest route and go to school. They weren’t fully on board but were still supportive,” Eazzyy said.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Eazzyy took advantage of the overwhelming popularity of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In June 2020, he posted clips of himself freestyling that went viral.
After signing his first record deal, Eazzyy was presented with the opportunity to choose who he wanted to collaborate with next. Inspired by artists like Lil Durk, Future, Trippie Redd, YFG Fatso, and Raq Baby, Eazzyy chose his favorite artist at the time — G Herbo.
Immediately the record label’s team went to work, reached out, and secured the collaboration.
Originally released in 2020, Lil Eazzyy’s song “Onna Come Up” was a solo project produced by J Oaks Films, a videographer from Connecticut who drove 14 hours for the shoot. In 2021, G Herbo joined the track for a remix feature and music video that would soon accelerate Lil Eazzyy’s career.
After such a monumental moment, Eazzyy explained how he spent the next year and a half working behind the scenes, perfecting his craft, practicing his lyricism, and becoming a better overall artist.
“I don’t stick to one sound, so I’m not stagnant in one lane. I’m creative — I can’t pick just one genre or describe my sound because I am my own sound. I am myself,” Eazzyy said. “I don’t make music to uphold an image. I don’t make music to impress anybody. I don’t make music to portray anything. My music is for those who can relate to it.”
He went on to explain that record deals come with strict guidelines. For example, there are limits to how much an artist can release and when, Eazzyy said.
“Between 2020 and 2021, I probably made around 240 songs in total, just within my first two albums,” Eazzyy shared. Yet, only about 40 of those songs were used to produce two of his albums, “Underrated” and “Rookie of the Year.”
In 2024, after leaving Atlantic Records, Eazzyy was able to return to those 240 songs and repurpose them. His newest single, released in November 2024, “Lost Files 1,” was written in 2022.
Listeners can find some of Eazzyy’s unreleased music on SoundCloud, he revealed.
“Music for me has always been about either getting stuff off my chest, like what I’m thinking, or rapping about what I do on a day-to-day basis." Eazzyy said. "I just try to keep it real and personal. It’s more like a summary of my life in a song. I’d say my whole life story is on my SoundCloud, for real.”
In Lil Eazzyy’s music videos, viewers will see familiar faces throughout the various shoots on his YouTube channel. When asked about his friend group, Eazzyy explained that he keeps his circle small, loyal and reliable.
“You’ll see the same faces because, as I’ve said, my music is personal. I’m not going to use production people or extras for my videos. I’ve always just used my real friends,” he said.
That doesn’t mean Eazzyy is unfamiliar with betrayal or poor relationships. In fact, fans can certainly find songs that explore those themes, he said.
“Do they check in on you? Do they need something from you? It’s the small things that show you their intentions. My advice? The best results happen when you’re alone,” Eazzyy said of true friendship.
According to Eazzyy, he tends to isolate himself while working to reach his full potential, especially during writing sessions.
“I hear a beat, let it talk to me, find a vibe, and then just write,” he said.
After leaving L.A. in 2021 to be closer to the Atlantic Records headquarters, Eazzyy stayed in Atlanta toward the end of 2022 to focus on his art. In 2024, he moved back home to Chicago, where he plans to use his return as a fresh start.
“Every city I’ve lived in has its pros and cons, but L.A. is definitely the city of connections. I met lifelong friends there, producers, and artists. I found people doing what I’m doing,” Eazzyy said. “But since I’ve returned to my roots, I’ve never been so locked in in my career as I am right now.”
In 2024, Eazzyy signed with Create Music Group and will dedicate his next album, “Real Hooper,” to his past. The album will reflect some of Eazzyy’s previous actions, thoughts, beliefs, relationships and experiences. Following “Real Hooper,” his albums will focus on the present, he said.
“I’m no longer going through the same stuff I was once going through,” Eazzyy continued. “I’m going through different stuff now. So, after this [Real Hooper], I can stick to what’s going on right now. But I also wanted everyone to hear what I’ve been creating over the last two years, what I’ve gone through, because I haven’t been able to drop. I want to get it off my chest and then start fresh once the album is over with."
In 2025, Eazzyy plans to go harder than ever before.
“I want my message to be: don’t let your past define you — use it to motivate you instead," Eazzyy said.
