Eric B

2023 Honoree - Legendary Artist Award

Eric B holds his Public Leadership in the Arts Award

Eric B holds his Public Leadership in the Arts Award which was presented at the Mayors Arts Breakfast held during The United States Conference of Mayors Winter Conference.

It’s a blessing my success as an artist has provided me a platform in the public eye to achieve a greater good. Across all generations, entertainment and the arts are foundational elements in human communication, emotional connection and shared experience, the importance of which can be overstated.

—Eric B

Biography

Louis “Eric B” Barrier is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated record producer, DJ, actor, entrepreneur, and community activist.  Born in Queens NY, he first rose to fame as one half of the iconic Hip-Hop duo Eric B and Rakim who, over the release of 4 full length albums and multiple collaborative projects, transformed the musical genre into the complex sample and lyrical driven form that persists today.  His debut, Paid In Full¸ is often referred to as the Greatest Hip-Hop Album of All-Time and Rolling Stone Magazine listed them as a Top 5 Duo in all of recorded music.  Expanding his talents into executive roles, Eric has worked across the spectrum of the entertainment industry including in-house for BMG’s Street Life Records and CBS Radio, as a consulting producer to The Source Awards and his current position on the Board of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in New York City.  His entrepreneurial spirit has seen him collaborate and co-own over 100 restaurants across the nation along with interests in real estate companies, tech startups and a management advisory firm he runs alongside his children.

In 1995, Eric caught the acting bug and had successfully appeared in numerous film and television projects culminating in his current 3 season and counting run as Lt. Mike Gee on CBS’s Blue Bloods.  When not acting or performing on stage, he remains forever active within his community serving as an honorary Deputy Sheriff, Federal Gang Outreach Coordinator, advisor and fundraiser to numerous political groups and candidates, project manager for the First Baptist Church of Elmhusrt and as an official Chaplain with the State of New York Chaplain Federation.