Erick “Jesus” Coomes is a man of many talents. You may know him as the highly skilled bassist of acclaimed funk outfit Lettuce or for his lovable goofball antics on and off stage. However, there is so much more to this West Coast cat to discover, including these ten things you probably didn’t know!

1.) Jesus has written music for some of the biggest pop stars in the game, including Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Hilary Duff, Janet Jackson, Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, Mike Posner, and Jennifer Lopez. He has also played bass and guitar on many well-known tracks—most notably Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” and Eminem’s “Crack a Bottle.”

Kanye West – “All Falls Down”

[Video: Kanye West]

2.) While he grew up in a very religious household, his nickname came at a later point from DJ Quik. After years of working together, Quik began calling him Jesus because he wouldn’t partake in any of their debauchery—and also because of his extremely long hair and beard. B-Real from Cypress Hill has also said Jesus walks on water with the bass. The name has since stuck, and is even perpetuated by his friend, Dr. Dre.

DJ Quik & Jesus on Visualism

[Video: 2voices1mind]

3.) Jesus was a child actor and appeared in a kickball-themed Frosted Flakes commercial in the ’80s. However, perhaps the pinnacle of his acting career was a cameo in 1991’s beloved crime thriller, Point Break, starring Patrick SwayzeKeanu ReevesLori Petty, and Gary Busey. You can watch Jesus almost crash into Keanu Reeves on a bike during the movie’s famed foot chase scene below around the one-minute mark.

Jesus In Point Break

[Video: JackBauer137]

Jesus In A Frosted Flakes Commercial

[Video: 80sComercials]

4.) Jesus would show up to Snoop Dogg sessions straight from yoga class in a turban, which never failed to trip everyone out.

5.) When Jesus began to play bass at age 15, he was so prolific that world-renowned bass virtuoso John Patitucci took him on as a private student.

6.) He was vegan for ten years and has studied Kundalini yoga and meditation. He still has a very spiritual daily practice that includes prayer and meditation.

 

7.) It’s a family affair! His father Tommy Coomes ironically founded Love Song, one of the first Christian rock bands, which started a movement known as Jesus music back in the 1970s. His brother Tycoon is a DJ/producer/drummer who has multiple platinum hits. In addition to guesting with Lettuce, Tycoon has worked with the some of the most successful people in the industry, including Ron Fair, Diane Warren, and Dr. Dre.

 

8.) Don’t let that goofy stoner demeanor fool you—Jesus was able to complete high school in just three years. While Lettuce first came together as students as Berklee College of Music, Jesus was also the only member of Lettuce to graduate with a degree!

9.) Prior to Lettuce, Jesus was a founding member of The Fyre Dept., which featured legendary guests like Slick Rick and GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. He later reunited with Wu-Tang members on stage for one of the highlights of his career, the Bonnaroo hip-hop super jam in 2013, where he played alongside RZA, Redman, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Schoolboy Q, Chad Hugo, Solange, and more.

10.) Much like the story of Jesus Christ feeding five thousands of his disciples with five loaves of bread and two fish, one time, Jesus went into a classic Jewish deli with The Game and Hi Tek and ordered a cheese sandwich that unknowingly came with 60 slices of cheese on only two slices of bread. He went and bought extra loaves of bread and made tons of sandwiches to feed the whole crew. They all laughed about the incident for days.

 


The fourth-annual Brooklyn Comes Alive is set to host the Baby Jesus Peasant Party—hosted by Lettuce’s Erick “Jesus” Coomes— this Saturday. The festival will return to Brooklyn’s beloved Williamsburg neighborhood on September 29th for an all-day music marathon at Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Rough Trade. Inspired by the vibrant musical communities of Brooklyn and New Orleans, Brooklyn Comes Alive brings together more than 50 artists, allowing them to carry out passion projects, play with their musical heroes, and collaborate in never-before-seen formations. For more information, ticketing, and to see the full schedule for Brooklyn Comes Alive 2018, head to the festival’s website here.

Brooklyn Comes Alive is sponsored by Denver-based company, Pure CBD Exchange, which creates and sells a number of CBD/cannabidiol products (What is CBD?) from concentrates, tinctures, extracts, lotions, creams, and more. The use of CBD has gained much notoriety as of late, for use as both a health and wellness supplement and to treat conditions such as epilepsy, PTSD, cancer, and a number of mental disorders and is also used for anti-inflammation, nausea reduction, sleep aid, and more. Pure CBD Exchange was co-founded by Gregg Allman Band organist/keyboardist and Brooklyn Comes Alive musician Peter Levin back in 2017.

Pure CBD Exchange focuses on low-THC cannabis products with high CBD content. They work within the Colorado Industrial Hemp pilot program to distribute non-psychoactive tinctures, extracts, lotions, and more all over the world. The company has featured by companies like VICE, High Times, Leafly, and more.