[NEW INTERVIEW] Elzhi - Elmatic (2011)

RuffDraft
RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
edited August 2011 in The Essence
elzhi_elmatic-front-large.jpg

Elzhi has been one of the best up and coming emcee's of recent years, releasing such albums as Euro Pass, Out of Focus and The Preface. Recently (10.5.11) he's released 'Elmatic' a tribute to Illmatic (Nas - 1994). The tribute is available here and is receiving some excellent reviews.

Thoughts? I'm going to give it a listen, but I'm aware from other threads in the Reason that this album is being warmly received. Comes soon after Fashawn released his tribute to Illmatic earlier this year/end of 2010.
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Comments

  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    its awesome! my fave songs are Halftime, Detroit State of Mind, and One Love.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    Lou Cypher wrote: »
    its awesome! my fave songs are Halftime, Detroit State of Mind, and One Love.

    Definitely agree with you, after listening to it today, can say it's one of my favourite tribute albums. He sounds at home and the way they flipped the beats was nice.

    Hopefully this will help garner him the attention that he needs.
  • DatNiggaB1
    DatNiggaB1 Members Posts: 6,066 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    Truely feeling this nice big up to Nas' best work.
  • just.might.b.ok
    just.might.b.ok Members Posts: 6,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    Royce could have done a better job on Life's a ? , but still a dope song. Elzhi is one of the most underated MCs out there
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    All together a beautiful mixtape!! Can listen to it Top to Bottom!!
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    Breaking News: Add this to the mixtape!!

    3524401484-1.jpg

    Eternia - remix of Elzhi's ONE LOVE (extended)
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    downloading this when i get home.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    traestar wrote: »
    Breaking News: Add this to the mixtape!!

    3524401484-1.jpg

    Eternia - remix of Elzhi's ONE LOVE (extended)

    Props Trae, definitely agree with everyone, a great dedication tape!! Don't know which one is my favourite though, I like It Ain't Hard To Tell, but I think that's strictly because it's one of the best songs of all time and hearing another version that's fitting to it at least, is a bonus.
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    Props Trae, definitely agree with everyone, a great dedication tape!! Don't know which one is my favourite though, I like It Ain't Hard To Tell, but I think that's strictly because it's one of the best songs of all time and hearing another version that's fitting to it at least, is a bonus.

    Oh I have too many favorites, however I will say It Ain't Hard to Tell was one of my favorite tracks of all time and the new version was excellent!
  • rip.dilla
    rip.dilla Members Posts: 17,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    ? excellent tape
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    i dont see what gives him the right to make this ............
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    i dont see what gives him the right to make this ............

    Whats wrong with it, its a tribute album!!
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    traestar wrote: »
    Whats wrong with it, its a tribute album!!

    ive never even heard of this man until now. only reason yall like it is because of the interpolated illmatic beats. i heard the respresent remake and the interpolation is fire !!! but where's the honor code ??? where are the dues paid to be the one who releases this ??

    let go back to 1994 ... ? say 95 ... in between illmatic and it was written.... when nas was dropping fire mixtape freestyles and making songs that would end up on lost tapes etc. lets say nas wanted to redo paid in full by eric b and rakim

    WELL ? YOU GAVE US ILLMATIC BY ALL MEANS PLEASE GO HEAD AND REDO PAID IN FULL WITH RAKIM'S BLESSING

    illmatic was nas' dues paid ...... now who the ? is this guy ?? what has he ever done to be worthy of remaking this??

    souljah boy cant remake juice but this guy can remake illmatic??

    is there an instrumental for this cause i dont wanna hear this ? remake a classic with his own garbage rhymes. i should start a ? elzhi campaign over this ... this is an outrage!!

    why dont we just put up a derrick rose statue right next to micheal jordan while were at it. and since jaden smith remade karate kid how bout we just let him remake bruce lee classics now smh

    i could see luda redoing a redman album
    jeezy remaking maybe a scarface album
    eminem doing a beasties album

    but this is just .... some guy ... remaking an all time classic and tarnishing it with his own lyrics on top of all that just for the sake of becoming popular

    the only man i can think of off top who id be willing to listen to remaking illmatic with his own lyrics is black thought. he has the lyrical potency, the respect for hip hop, and the creativity and track record for it to be acceptable. we could understand his interpretation and enjoy his play on the lyrics

    elhzee should be struck down to hip hop hell for this .. right along with vanilla ice and the young black teenagers

    SMMFH
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    ^^^^ yes titangraph

    SMMFH
  • rip.dilla
    rip.dilla Members Posts: 17,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    Don't bother about my ? Elzhi making a tribute Illmatic piece

    It all boils down to one thing

    Nasir Jones is the GREATEST OF ALL TIMES
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    rip.dilla wrote: »
    Don't bother about my ? Elzhi making a tribute Illmatic piece

    It all boils down to one thing

    Nasir Jones is the GREATEST OF ALL TIMES

    if this was a golden era of hip hop elzhi would be brutally beaten at his next live show
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    Definitely agree with you, after listening to it today, can say it's one of my favourite tribute albums. He sounds at home and the way they flipped the beats was nice.

    Hopefully this will help garner him the attention that he needs.

    please disreguard this post ...... cuzzin ruffdraft has obviously been poisoned by this attrocity that elzhi has disguised as a tribute
  • rip.dilla
    rip.dilla Members Posts: 17,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    if this was a golden era of hip hop elzhi would be brutally beaten at his next live show

    My ? eLZhi is one of the DOPEST lyricists out, a veteran from tha D who was part of the defunct Slum Village collective and worked with the late J Dilla
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    ive never even heard of this man until now. only reason yall like it is because of the interpolated illmatic beats. i heard the respresent remake and the interpolation is fire !!! but where's the honor code ??? where are the dues paid to be the one who releases this ??

    let go back to 1994 ... ? say 95 ... in between illmatic and it was written.... when nas was dropping fire mixtape freestyles and making songs that would end up on lost tapes etc. lets say nas wanted to redo paid in full by eric b and rakim

    WELL ? YOU GAVE US ILLMATIC BY ALL MEANS PLEASE GO HEAD AND REDO PAID IN FULL WITH RAKIM'S BLESSING

    illmatic was nas' dues paid ...... now who the ? is this guy ?? what has he ever done to be worthy of remaking this??

    souljah boy cant remake juice but this guy can remake illmatic??

    is there an instrumental for this cause i dont wanna hear this ? remake a classic with his own garbage rhymes. i should start a ? elzhi campaign over this ... this is an outrage!!

    why dont we just put up a derrick rose statue right next to micheal jordan while were at it. and since jaden smith remade karate kid how bout we just let him remake bruce lee classics now smh

    i could see luda redoing a redman album
    jeezy remaking maybe a scarface album
    eminem doing a beasties album

    but this is just .... some guy ... remaking an all time classic and tarnishing it with his own lyrics on top of all that just for the sake of becoming popular

    the only man i can think of off top who id be willing to listen to remaking illmatic with his own lyrics is black thought. he has the lyrical potency, the respect for hip hop, and the creativity and track record for it to be acceptable. we could understand his interpretation and enjoy his play on the lyrics

    elhzee should be struck down to hip hop hell for this .. right along with vanilla ice and the young black teenagers

    SMMFH

    That was unnecessary, Uptown!
    First off, if you don't like Elzhi, mind as well keep it to yourself!
    Or if you never heard of him, why don't you google up his projects

    Second of all, we represent the underground hip hop artists on this side of
    the Reason called the Essence. We're open to many different rappers in hip
    hop but we focus on the underground rappers that don't get shine in the
    mainstream but make noise in the indies.

    Elzhi is without question one of top MCs in the underground game right now
    and for him to do a tribute album for Nas WITH LIVE instruments is great to US!!

    That whole paragraph that you just typed sounds more of hate than anything!!

    I hear MANY artists making new tracks over someone's beats, so I'm guessing
    Elzhi can't do the same?
  • KillaCham
    KillaCham Members, Moderators Posts: 11,417 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    Elzhi has always been know to be a sick ass lyricist. ? are ignorant.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    please disreguard this post ...... cuzzin ruffdraft has obviously been poisoned by this attrocity that elzhi has disguised as a tribute

    Damn, debate!! haha

    I think you need to look dude up, he's got a long list of prestigious projects that he's put together including Europass, the Prefix (highly acclaimed) and Out of Focus.

    Everything else that you discussed, Trae pretty much stated how it was... we're part of the underground and we enjoy underground music. Elzhi is a great lyricist, the live instrumentation on this release is ridiculously good and Elzhi for the most part offers a really great fresh look at a classic.

    Making a comparison between Elzhi and Soulja Boy or however you spell his name is ignorant because you haven't listened to dude... you should check him out before you come with a strong viewpoint. In the time it took for the titangraph, you could have listened to a few more tracks, your opinion might have changed.

    Either way, a great release for hip hop in an age where such titangraphs could be aimed much better at artists in the mainstream who neglect and depreciate the history of hip hop.
  • traestar
    traestar Members Posts: 6,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    RuffDraft wrote: »
    Damn, debate!! haha

    I think you need to look dude up, he's got a long list of prestigious projects that he's put together including Europass, the Prefix (highly acclaimed) and Out of Focus.

    Everything else that you discussed, Trae pretty much stated how it was... we're part of the underground and we enjoy underground music. Elzhi is a great lyricist, the live instrumentation on this release is ridiculously good and Elzhi for the most part offers a really great fresh look at a classic.

    Making a comparison between Elzhi and Soulja Boy or however you spell his name is ignorant because you haven't listened to dude... you should check him out before you come with a strong viewpoint. In the time it took for the titangraph, you could have listened to a few more tracks, your opinion might have changed.

    Either way, a great release for hip hop in an age where such titangraphs could be aimed much better at artists in the mainstream who neglect and depreciate the history of hip hop.

    Damn right RuffDraft!!

    And besides him being in numerous Slum Village albums, his mixtapes (including Elmatic)
    are critically acclaimed legendary!!
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    traestar wrote: »
    Damn right RuffDraft!!

    And besides him being in numerous Slum Village albums, his mixtapes (including Elmatic)
    are critically acclaimed legendary!!

    haha

    No doubt, dude is mad talented and I'm looking forward to his next release...
  • UPTOWN
    UPTOWN Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 13,009 Regulator
    edited May 2011
    you know what ? it

    im gonna listen to this dudes ? . and it better be fire!!... im downloading his ? ..putting it on my BB and i will listen to it at work, where it will ? me off even worse if its not good. i will not skip past any tracks, which makes it really bad if its not good. after that .. then i will listen to this blasphemous mixtape

    killacham ... youre a coward for not directly quoting me .. sending subliminals and ? smh

    i like how no one could respond directly to my post tho LOL i sense some of you are in denial because i pointed out some interesting facts

    you young men in here are going thru golden era withdrawl and will support anything thats even half good yet not commercial that comes out

    man ... elzhi's lucky that i respect the posters in here

    this ? is now under review ....

    matter of fact .. nah .. im gonna listen to his elmatic ... and i will stack it up right against illmatic. im gonna put illmatic and elmatic in my bb and they will go head to head. to be fair .. he must atleast meet 75% of the success (lyrically) of illmatic. otherwise im striking his existence into the depths of hip hop hell. he already lost some points just because killacham likes him. nikki minaj, chamillionaire, camron, and elzhi?? what da hell kinda line up is that??

    this actrocity just may leave a permanent scar on the essence as subforum of this board ..... **begins review**
  • CMac
    CMac Members Posts: 5,748 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2011
    It was a great Mixtape, I wasn't mad he was rapping over Nas's Illmatic beats cuz Elzhi is a great underground rapper. It would have been whack if he was a avg or above avg rapper but he's far better then that. I liked every track on the Mixtape, I played that ? from start to finish with no skipping tracks.