Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Marable Jr.
Hi Eric, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Eric MarabIe, Jr. aka Daan Rana. I’m an Actor, Writer, Slam Poet, Emcee, Singer/Songwriter, Teacher, and Director from Birmingham, AL. I began acting in church plays written by my mother (She’s a genius. You should interview her) and writing poems at the age of six. I wrote my first verse at 13. My family laughed at me so I vowed to never spit again. A few years, I was filming a poetry workshop for one of my teachers. I wasn’t supposed to participate but I asked to write a piece. At the end of the workshop, after everyone had spit their piece, my teacher asked me if I had a poem. Then, the teaching artist made me spit in front of the whole class. Afterward, he asked me if I had ever done that before. I said no, haha. He then put me on to more poetry workshops at the Central Library and that’s where I met my mentors, the Real Life Poets Inc. I started taking my writing and performing seriously. I continued acting and doing open mics throughout high school.
When I went to college at the University of Alabama, I majored in Theatre and minored in Creative Writing. I did work on stage and on film and also traveled across the country to give speeches on pressing social topics with the Alabama Forensics Council (Speech and Debate Team) as well as competing in national poetry slam competitions with the Alabama Student Association for Poetry (ASAP). After spending my senior year doing research on the school-to-prison pipeline (along with all the other messed-up things happening in the education system), I stumbled into an opportunity to become a teacher in NYC. After moving to New York City in 2015 to teach and pursue acting, I decided to focus on developing a creative brand combining all modes of his expression to create work that drives thought, communication, and healing forward. Daan Rana was created to be a more holistic approach to my art and humanity. This year, I started my company, No More Dead Rappers LLC., which seeks to promote safety, realism, wellness, light, and love through community and the arts.
I am Creative Director and Program Manager for “The Flourish Alabama,” an Arts Education 501(c)(3) based in Birmingham, AL. I am also the Project Coordinator for the Greater Birmingham Arts Education Collaborative (@bhmartsed). I am Poet, Producer, and Lead Writer for “Bloom City,” a creative writing YouTube series. I have done multimedium work as Staff Writer, Song Writer, and Actor for “The Juke Joint Live,” a variety show created by the incomparable polymath Erika E. Wade. I am a Producer, Director, and M.C. for “Sunsets on 6th”, a showcase of up-and-coming RnB and Hip Hop acts in Birmingham, AL. I am also the lead director of the award-winning Off-Broadway production “Black Enough,” a one-person show that was written/performed by one of the nation’s top slam poets Jahman Ariel Hill. I dropped my first Ep “Birds of Prey” back in May 2022. You can listen to it on all streaming platforms.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Most of the struggles were internal. I’m really blessed with an incredible family and an incredible network of people who support me. I’ve had to really step back and work on my mental health. I had been neglecting it for a long time until I finally had to ask for help. People think depression is just sadness or weakness. Someone once told me that they think depression is just a way to get pity from people or a way to get compliments. Depression is deeper. Major depression for me is feeling utterly incapable of doing the things that I need to do to be healthy and happy and that I don’t even deserve those things. Through the support of my family and some serious work in therapy, I’m feeling capable. I’m feeling my power. I’m feeling love again. I’m excited to step into the next chapter of my life with a new sense of gratitude.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the Creative Director for an Arts Non-Profit in Birmingham, AL that specializes in “multimedium” programming. The Flourish Alabama uses art to empower the youth and help these young artists bloom. We organize a city-wide poetry slam between high schools in the city (Word Up!). We also teach a program that teaches students how to create short films on their cell phones (Cell Phone Cinema). The Flourish has also completed our music program called “Magic City Cypher Vol. 2” where students learned about the process of voting and used their bars to encourage our community to go out and use their voices to make a change. From there, our students were able to compose, produce, engineer, and perform original pieces with the help of local music professionals. On the last day, students filmed their own music video with the help of Rico Shay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eb3MTxuhko). From here, I want to create programs that help students with mental health, a program to teach them about the history/power of radio, and a program that introduces Black students to the ever-evolving world of tech.
I am also an Artist and I released my first EP “Birds of Prey”. This 5 track project is available on all streaming platforms!
I am currently recording my second project which I plan to release this Summer.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t like to call it luck. I’ve been so blessed to meet the people I’ve been able to meet and to work with the people I get to work with on a daily basis. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I’ve ended up back in my home city doing the exact same work that changed my life as a teenager. It’s divine timing. It’s something brewing that even I can’t fathom. The Most High is behind us and that means that nothing can stand against this work. We are making better days for our students which means we are building a better future for our community. I can’t ask for much more than that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/nomoredeadrappers
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomoredeadrappers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomoredeadrappers
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFBMLkFj1Rb63qWUjf4B3g
Image Credits
EJ Glenn Photography (@ejglennphotography) Josh Weaver (@team_weaver4life) Janavian Young (@janavian_)
