by Ajay Rodriguez
Doing an interview for me is always hard work. I hate getting a list of questions that can and cannot be asked for fear that one of those questions that I couldn’t ask would be there. Then there are those interviews that just go great; almost makes you feel like you’re talking to a good friend.
Well, today, that friend is Edwin Serrano, otherwise known as Lil’ Eddie.
I ran into Lil’ Eddie’s music in 2007, when Kylie Minogue released her CD X, which featured one of his songs, “All I See.” The track was released as the first promotional single off the album, and topped the Billboard Dance list of that year.
Soon after, I started looking for more tracks from Lil’ Eddie on blogs and music sharing sites, and came to realize that he has talent, both vocally and lyrically. A double threat as they say in the music business. His demos have always been on my iPod’s playlists and I proudly would play them in my parties and get-togethers.
So when I started to follow him on Twitter and became a staff writer here on Being Latino, I asked for an interview. Thank God he said yes!
In this first part, we’ll get to know his past, his influences, and how he got a record deal.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you born? What was your childhood like? I was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Spanish Harlem. Life was hard, very poor. I was even homeless with my mom. We slept in cars, shelters, etc. all after a fire destroyed our Brooklyn home when I was five years old. But growing up in poverty has made me appreciate and understand the value of a dollar more.
I’m happy things turned out great for you in the end. Some people turn to negative things to overcome a tragedy – you chose music. Who were some of your influences growing up? The great Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Mac Anthony, Queen, Prince, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald just to name a few. I listened to a lil’ but from many genres of music.
When did you first realize you had a knack for rhyming and putting words to music? I was very creative and imaginative from a very young age. I loved to write stories and I always loved music and had a passion for the arts. 
I’m always curious on how deals are made. How did you reach the heads of EMI? Bad Boys hit maker Mario Winans signed me at 18. I was introduced to Sean “P-Diddy” Combs when I was 16 or 17 after being discovered singing in the NYC Subway to myself coming home from working at Starbucks. That led me to write for Usher, Janet Jackson, Carl Thomas, and Guerilla Black. That writing credit led me to Jessica Rivera, now a publisher at Universal Publishing, but was once at EMI, which signed me to the label.
Next week, we’ll discuss his writing process, new album news, and how he feels when artists sing his songs.
Follow Lil Eddie on Twitter: @LilEddieOhYeah
To learn more about AJ, visit The AJay Rodriguez Blog.
______________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those
of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
About Being Latino Contributors