Eric Roberson

Eric Roberson (born 27 September 1973; Rahway, New Jersey, United States), also known simply as Erro, is an American singer, songwriter, former rapper and record producer, widely regarded as one of the leading figures of independent R&B and neo-soul, having built a celebrated career largely outside the major-label system through his own Blue Erro Soul imprint.
 

Early Life

Roberson was raised in a musical household in Rahway, New Jersey, where some of his earliest memories were of his father singing and playing guitar; he began singing as a child and was performing in earnest by his teenage years.

He attended Rahway High School before enrolling at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on a musical theatre scholarship, where he performed frequently on campus in musicals and plays. While still a teenager, he signed to Warner Bros. Records and released his debut single, "The Moon," in 1994, a post-new jack swing ballad that reached number 53 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart; the album intended to follow it, however, was ultimately shelved, and Roberson returned to Howard University to complete his degree in musical theatre.

Career

After graduating, Roberson landed a songwriting deal with EMI and went on to collaborate extensively with Philadelphia-based artists, including Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild and, most prominently, producer DJ Jazzy Jeff. As a member of Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team, he contributed to Jeff's 2002 solo album, The Magnificent, while also writing and arranging material during the late 1990s for artists including Phajja, 112 and Gina Thompson.

Seeking greater creative independence, Roberson launched his own label, Blue Erro Soul, releasing his self-produced debut album, The Esoteric Movement, in 2001, the same year he scored a club hit under the Erro name with "Don't Change" (also known as "Change for Me") on Osunlade's Yoruba Records. He went on to build one of the most successful independent careers in contemporary R&B, releasing a steady stream of albums including The Vault, Vol. 1 (2003), The Appetizer (2005) and ...Left (2007), selling well over 100,000 copies through direct-to-fan channels, concerts and independent retail rather than mainstream distribution.

In 2006 he appeared on DJ Spinna's album Intergalactic Soul. His sixth studio album, Music Fan First (2009), featured the duet "Dealing" with Lalah Hathaway and produced two tracks, "A Tale of Two" and "Still," that earned Roberson consecutive Grammy Award nominations for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Building on that recognition, and a new partnership with Purpose Music and distributor eOne, his 2011 album, Mister Nice Guy, reached number 14 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2013 Roberson joined vocalists Dave Hollister, Fred Hammond and Brian Courtney Wilson as a member of the gospel-soul supergroup United Tenors, and also fronted Zo!'s single "We Are on the Move."

His 2014 album, The Box, reached number eight on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and number 104 on the Billboard 200; its cover art and promotional materials featured speakers by the audio brand BoomCase. He went on to release Tigallerro (2016), a collaborative album with rapper and singer Phonte, followed by a trilogy of empowerment-themed EPs titled Earth, Wind and Fire (2017), and his seventeenth studio album, Lessons (2022), whose lead single and remix, featuring Anthony Hamilton, Raheem DeVaughn and Kevin Ross, earned widespread acclaim.

In February 2016, his song "I Have a Song" was released as the official fundraising single, produced by Jak Beula, supporting the installation of the first dedicated Commonwealth war memorial in the United Kingdom honouring African and Caribbean servicemen and women of both World Wars.

In 2024, Roberson signed to the Universal Music Group-distributed label SoNo Recording Group, releasing as his first single for the label a cover of Robert Palmer's 1978 song "Every Kinda People," featuring keyboardist Jeff Lorber, and that year also completed a 30th Anniversary Tour marking three decades since his recording debut.

On 23 July 2025, he released his eighteenth studio album, Beautifully All Over the Place, issued independently through Blue Erro Soul exclusively via his own website, continuing the direct-to-fan release model that has defined his career; the album's title also lent itself to a companion book of the same name, drawing on the stories and lessons behind his music, which he has shared with audiences through an "Improv Sessions" live format blending performance and conversation.

Alongside his recording career, Roberson served as a professor at Berklee College of Music from 2019 to 2024, has held the position of Artistic Director at the National Museum of African American Music, and was elected Chapter Governor of the Philadelphia Chapter Board of the Recording Academy. He has also appeared as a featured vocalist on NBC's That's My Jam with Jimmy Fallon, and his honours include the 2012 Soul Train Music Award for Independent Artist of the Year and a BETJ Virtual Award for Underground Artist of the Year.
 

Personal Life

Roberson has spoken of drawing on his own personal experiences throughout his songwriting career, and has been recognised within the R&B community not only for his musical output but for his mentorship of and support for emerging independent artists, having become something of an ambassador for the "Honest Music" movement within soul music.

Beyond his own catalogue, his songwriting and production credits stretch across the R&B and hip hop worlds, including work with Will Downing, Vivian Green, Carl Thomas and Cam'ron, among others. Roberson's insistence on creative and financial independence, forgoing major-label backing in favour of direct engagement with his fanbase, has made him a widely cited example for other artists seeking to build a sustainable career outside the traditional industry structure.
 

Current Activities

Following the July 2025 release of Beautifully All Over the Place, Roberson continues to tour extensively across the United States, with dates through the first half of 2026 including performances in Napa, Houston, Detroit, Los Angeles and beyond, performing both solo material and the songs he has written for other artists, alongside his Improv Sessions live shows built around the new album and book.