JST templating Issue

So i have this issue where I create a marionette ItemView and i pass it a model. I than pass the model into the item view ECO JST template. The model JSON representation looks something like

{
    "data": {
        "user": {
            "first_name": "first_name",
            "last_name": "last_name"
        },
        "account": "23",
        "key": "123"
    }
}

The JST ECO template is something simple like :

<% console.log @ %> // returns entire object  {data: object, escape: this.JST, safe: this.JST}
<% console.log @data %> // returns data object

In the JavaScript debugger. If i set a break point onto the jst template (@data.user //this.data.user) it returns the users object but when i try to inspect the user object inside the jst file i get a undefined

<% console.log @data.user %> // returns undefined

Any suggestions?

Thanks UPDATED::: ADDING Classes and Views and ECO templates

//list_controller.coffee
#user_data contains response from server.
        showApiSubmit:(options) ->
            apiSubmitBtn = @getSubmitButton(options)
        apiSubmitBtn.on "api:submit:clicked",(model) ->
          user_data = App.reqres.request("api:get:userbyid")
          user = new Backbone.Model //without this the @data object doesnt show up in template at all 
          user.model = user_data
          console.log("user_data", user_data)
          data = List.Controller.getApiPopUpModal(user)
          List.Controller.layout.apiResponse.show data
        @layout.apiSubmit.show apiSubmitBtn

    getApiPopUpModal:(model) ->
        new List.PopUpModal
          model: model.model

// ListView
class List.PopUpModal extends App.Views.ItemView
   template: "/templates/_api_popup_modal"

//_api_popup_modal.jst.eco
<%- console.log "popup", @ %> // shows data object with user object inside
<%- console.log "popup", @data.user %> // shows undefined
<%- console.log "popup args", arguments %>
<div id ="popUpDiv">

</div>

hope this helps me find out why i cant access the user data. Thanks