Stagga Lee

Eric Newman, better known by his stage name Stagga Lee, is an American rapper hailing from Yonkers, New York. His stage name was adopted after Stagger Lee. He signed to ArtistDirect in 2003, and had a minor hit in his debut single, "Roll Wit M.V.P. (We Be Like! The La La Song)," which sampled Minnie Riperton's 1975 hit "Lovin' You," and peaked at #13 on the Rhythmic Top 40 in 2003. This began after a buzz was created from the video play the song was receiving on BET's late night video show "Uncut." Following a 28 city promotional tour, his second single,as a featured artist of the Hip-Hop/Dance collective M.V.P., (which also featured Robert Clivilles, Vice Verse and Jasmine Ray), "Roc Ya Body",was released to radio in 2004,and shot to #1 on the top dance format station in New York,103.5 KTU. The exposure from this success allowed him to sign, as part of M.V.P., to Tommy Mottola's Casablanca Records. They parted ways with the label the following year. The song was released in the U.K. in 2005 on E.M.I. Positiva Records, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Top 100, and quickly spread to other markets around Europe including Germany(#11), Holland(#1), and Spain(#4). He was the opening act on the European leg of the Nelly tour from July to August, and the Snoop Dogg tour in September/November, performing at venues such as Wembley Stadium, Manchester Evening News Arena, and Cardiff Stadium. Live television appearances include Top of The Pops (U.K.and Germany), Ballerman Hitz(Spain), and PopWorld (London).