Newark has always had a way of producing legends who carry the city’s soul with them everywhere they go. R&B artist The Artist — born Erica — is one of those voices, and with her debut EP DND out now, she is making her most intimate case yet for why she belongs in that lineage. Before music became her full-time calling, she was pouring that same creative energy into shaping young minds as a preschool teacher — until a firing that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her career. Since then, she has earned co-signs from some of the most respected names in the game, including Queen Latifah, 112, Snoop Dogg and Maxwell. DND, which stands for Do Not Disturb, is more than an EP — it is a healing journal, a love letter and a declaration of self all wrapped into one project. In a candid conversation, The Artist opened up about the story behind the music, what it meant to be embraced by legends and why the world cannot tell her story but her.
What does DND stand for?
I wanted the listeners to come up with their own meaning, but it’s really just “do not disturb.” When you put your phone on Do Not Disturb — it’s kind of like a double arm, because I took DND as, okay, I’m putting my phone on DND, but the project is about what happens when your phone is on DND, and why you’re putting your phone on DND…