BLACK E was born Ellison Sarbeng on September 16, 1976 in Brooklyn, NY. As a child, he was a quiet, yet outgoing person who was always looking for a way to make people laugh. At the tender age of 12, he fell in love with Hip Hop while listening to the radio. It Takes Two by Rob Base was playing and the feeling he was left with has stayed with him ever since. When he was 13, he had written his first rhyme, which he is reluctant to give the title to.
His parents are from Ghana, West Africa and are part of the Asante tribe. His father was in the Army for over twenty years. As a military brat BLACK E went through three high schools his freshman year. Many people would lose focus and put their dreams to the way side; but BLACK E continued to pursue his and honed his skills in writing and storytelling. Growing up living abroad (living in Germany for 12 years and Turkey for 3) has given him an insight and point of view that few artists in the music industry can match. His avid writing and poetry skills prompted his English teachers to submit his work for a regional publication (one of the submitted works will be featured on his debut album).
When asked what he would like his listeners to take from him as an artist, he responded, I just want to inspire people to honor themselves as a person as well as an individual. Look beyond the bling and hoes the media force feeds you and aspire to exceed society's expectations of you positively. Always be truthful to yourself.
Judging from that statement, we can gather that BLACK E a.k.a. Ellison Sarbeng is an artist to watch and learn from. He is ready to take the music industry by storm and spark a revolution in Hip Hop. |
