[NEW INTERVIEW] Elzhi - Elmatic (2011)
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just got this, dude can spit, found about him thru white van music by jake one.. the tribute album type ? is hard to pull off but he did his thing, i ? w it
I still got to get that album! -
I still got to get that album!
its dope bruh but the diversity of the rappers he hosted means you bound to hate 1 or 2 of em -
Never even heard of Elzhi before this but I checked out Elmatic and its really dope. He did his thing lyrically and I also felt the way they flipped the beats. We all know it cant ? with Illmatic but comparing a mixtape to an all-time classic would be ignorant. This is just a great tape imho.
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its dope bruh but the diversity of the rappers he hosted means you bound to hate 1 or 2 of em
oh nah I know the album very well, and the rappers on there I'm down with it! -
I still bump the preface on the daily...I gotta check for this though.
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Never even heard of Elzhi before this but I checked out Elmatic and its really dope. He did his thing lyrically and I also felt the way they flipped the beats. We all know it cant ? with Illmatic but comparing a mixtape to an all-time classic would be ignorant. This is just a great tape imho.
def check out the preface if u was feeling this -
is this ? the next nas or some ? ?
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Elzhi the truth real rap and a breath of fresh air after half a year of mediocre music.
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Nothing beats live instrumentation
The Essence -
About as good as a tribute as you could hope for. Invokes the feelings of the original songs while paying both homage and providing something different. The beats are lively and Elzhi honours the great lyricism of Nas' debut. Elzhi isn't trying to one up Nas, he is trying to honour him, and he does. A perfect tape and tribute to one of my favorite albums of all time. Only complaint is that Royce could have brought it harder on Life's A ? .
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ty the great wrote: »About as good as a tribute as you could hope for. Invokes the feelings of the original songs while paying both homage and providing something different. The beats are lively and Elzhi honours the great lyricism of Nas' debut. Elzhi isn't trying to one up Nas, he is trying to honour him, and he does. A perfect tape and tribute to one of my favorite albums of all time. Only complaint is that Royce could have brought it harder on Life's A ? .
This tape is definitely the last of the Illmatic tributes, I think Elzhi's set the bar too high for others to contend. Fashawn wouldn't have brought out Ode to Illmatic if this had dropped first, it pales in comparison. -
Dope dope was feeling Fasshawns ode but I'm have to side with this one being the better
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so I just listened to this ? ...
and I must say I was pleasantly surprised...
it is an awesome ode to Illmatic...
nice......
Yeah, infinitely too, I don't think it'll die off and would be a personal classic to me if I was from his city…Dope dope was feeling Fasshawns ode but I'm have to side with this one being the better
Yeah, I think it's a lot better than Fashawn's, although I think Fashawn can pen a better song. But following Nas' concepts for tracks, he can't go wrong on this one! -
It's going to be dropping as a CD for $15.97.
Available at UGHH on pre-order and will ship this coming Friday, for all who are interested:
Elzhi - Elmatic -
It's going to be dropping as a CD for $15.97.
Available at UGHH on pre-order and will ship this coming Friday, for all who are interested:
Elzhi - Elmatic
I just seen the pic of the actual copy on his facebook -
I just seen the pic of the actual copy on his facebook
Dope, it's almost a must cop to me… but I think the price is steep, in ways… considering UGHH sell CD's at $10 sometimes and then I have to import. $6 more… is kinda meh… but I guess I'm only complaining because I usually only stretch to $15, guess this is better than most I'd buy so I shouldn't moan over the 97 cents lol. -
Honestly Nas' career has shaped up in the event to mold a predecessor, unlike a Jay-Z or Kanye, because when Nas had first got on they felt like he was swagga jackin Rakim. So if it turns out eLZhi is the next Nas then so be it, 10 years from now he very well could be.
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Mr. Gervinho wrote: »Honestly Nas' career has shaped up in the event to mold a predecessor, unlike a Jay-Z or Kanye, because when Nas had first got on they felt like he was swagga jackin Rakim. So if it turns out eLZhi is the next Nas then so be it, 10 years from now he very well could be.
Will we ever have another Nas?
You'll find it very hard to find someone who can live up to that commercially, I don't feel another Nas will come by… a street rhymer with such conscious penmanship, who breaks the mainstream yet is still delivering the real…. I can't imagine you'd have that… not in the same sense anyway… -
New interview discussing Elmatic:The Well Versed wrote:If you ask most hip hop heads to name the greatest albums of all-time, you’d be hard pressed to find one that wouldn’t say Illmatic. With that being said, crafting a dedication to Nas‘ opus, recreating the classic tracks is a tall task for most emcees. Not for Detroit’s Elzhi. He released Elmatic to almost universal critical acclaim, even getting praise from those who helped create “Illmatic“. Soon after the release of Elmatic TheWellVersed chopped it up with Elzhi about the response received from Elmatic, the Detroit hip hop scene, and respect.
The Well Versed: How do you feel about the response you’re getting from Elmatic?
Elzhi: The response I’m getting from that is incredible. It’s a blessing that people are really appreciating that piece of work. It just makes me want to strive harder and do better on my next project.
TWV: Have you heard a response from Nas since that joint released?
E: Not yet, but my management has spoken with his management and they have the music. His manager expressed how much he’s really feeling the project, that’s a blessing in itself.
TWV: If I’m correct, you’ve been working on Elmatic for 3 years?
E: The concept is 3 years old. When I got with Will Sessions and got in the studio, it only took a month and a half.
TWV: Last year, Fashawn released a tribute to Illmatic, but if you listen to both of them, you can hear they’re really different. One of the things I noticed that was different is you didn’t put the songs in the same order that they are on Illmatic…was that a conscious decision, or is that something that you had did after you completed the songs?
E: It was definitely a conscious decision. It was a tribute and my way of paying homage. I guess I wanted to add my own flip to it — whether it be through the lyrics, the music, and the song order. So it was definitely a conscious decision to flip the song order.
TWV: Another flip you did on Elmatic was with “One Love”, you made it about a female. Normally there’s a song about a female on an album, but Illmatic didn’t have that. Was that something that you decided since you were putting your own spin on it, that you wanted to do it that way instead?
E: I made conscious decisions to try and put my ideas into the project as well. I can’t front, when I started talking about “Elmatic” around certain people, T3 suggested “One Love” be about a girl. I said I’d try it, that’s pretty dope. That’s how it came about.
TWV: I saw another interview with you and heard you’re gonna do a video for “Memory Lane” and it’s gonna have footage of The Hip Hop Shop. For those that don’t know, can you give an explanation of what The Hip Hop Shop is and it’s relevance in Detroit?
E: The Hip Hop Shop was a clothing store owned by Maurice Malone off 7 mile road, that’s the street before 8 Mile. It was on Foyer and on Saturday from 4 to 6, the people that worked there moved the clothes to the side and it was an open mic. The host of the open mic was Proof. You had people in the open mic like Obie Trice, myself, Slum Village, Phat Kat, Royce Da 5’9, Guilty (Simpson), you name it. An array of different artists, as well as Eminem. Eminem used to be at The Hip Hop Shop in the open mics, in the battles, and we all learned from each other. It was a way to sharpen our blades as emcees. I would go there to get on the mic, but most importantly, I would go there to hear the people who would get on the mic that represented my city and had crazy talent doing it.
I would get a vibe every time I left The Hip Hop Shop and I know everybody else felt the same way. I definitely think it created a surge of energy amongst everybody that was there to have a sense of pride in the city, and to not only let everybody in the city know how talented we were, but everybody else as well.
TWV: Are they going to put out a DVD or something around that?
E: I don’t know if we’ll go that far, but we’re gonna do the video for “Memory Lane,” and it’ll represent certain people that were in The Hip Hop Shop.
TWV: Speaking of the Detroit scene, you have a lot of talented artists coming out of Detroit and it’s a pretty diverse scene. From the outside, it appears that there are different groups in Detroit. There’s you and Black Milk, then there’s Obie Trice and D12, then there’s Big Sean. Is there a divide in different groups, or is that just something people see from the outside? If there is a divide, is it because of label politics, or is that because where people came from? Or, is it all united, and from the outside it just appears that way?
E: It’s both. It’s unity in some ways; then it’s everybody branching off and doing their own thing. By Detroit not having any major labels, you may see Big Sean more because he’s G.O.O.D Music, then there are other people. Since they’re not under a label like G.O.O.D Music, you wouldn’t see them as much as you see a Big Sean. I wouldn’t say me and Big Sean are in the same camp, but me and Big Sean talk from time to time, and he’s a real cool cat. It’s definitely a unity thing, we’ve talked about getting on a song together and that’s something that will happen in the future. He’s doing his thing, I’m doing my thing, but I got a lot of respect for the brother, I got a lot of love for that brother, and vice versa. It’s still a unity.
TWV: Speaking of respect, I was reading another interview; this one was with Sean Price. He said at a certain time he had just dropped a project–this might have been after Monkey Bars– but he said somebody reached out to him, and they wanted him to get on a track with you, Ras Kass, and Royce Da 5’9. His response was, and this isn’t an exact quote, but it was something to the effect of “Hell no, right now I’m hot, those guys aren’t just rappers, those guys are super emcees, I’m not gonna get on that track and ruin my buzz right now.” What do you feel about a statement like that, ‘cuz Sean Price isn’t a slouch lyrically.
E: I heard about that…man, I feel honored that that brother would even say that about me, because I came up listening to Boot Camp Clik and Heltah Skeltah. I’m a big fan of his music, as well as the music he’s doing now. He’s definitely got bars and I know he knows that. I definitely like to hear the things that come out his mouth when he’s creating, so that’s an honor.
TWV: Staying on the subject of respect, you ran with Royce for “Life’s a ? ” right now a lot of people are doing these collabo albums. Royce has one with Em, you have Jay Z and Kanye, then Lil Wayne and Drake, what are the chances of us ever getting an album or mixtape with you and Royce?
E: It’s not farfetched. I just did a show here recently, he came out and showed some love. He did “Life’s a ? ” with me. After the show was over, we had a conversation. We talked about the future briefly about us coming together and doing tracks. We talked about it before, but you know, life gets in the way. He got with Slaughterhouse, I had my own troubles, I’m starting to establish myself as a solo artist, a lot of stuff got in the way, but we definitely have a mutual respect for each other’s craft, so it’s not farfetched, it can happen anytime soon.
TWV: That’s dope; people will be looking forward to that. As far as projects coming up in the future, do you have a title and a release plan for your next project?
E: I don’t have a release plan, but I’ve been riding with this title for the album for years now. I don’t know if it’s gonna change when I get into the bulk of the album, but right now the name of the album that I’m working on is titled The Feed. -
Continued…..The Well Versed wrote:TWV: Do you have anything recorded or any plans for features or production?
E: I got a few tricks up my sleeve. As far as recording, I’m always recording. Right now I’m in the stage of really trying to find that sound that I want. I’m doing a nice amount of great records right now, but I’m still trying to find that sound that’s gonna dominate the album at this moment.
TWV: Right now, you have a lot of rappers who say they don’t write their rhymes, they just go in and record them. Do you write your rhymes?
E: Let’s just say I don’t. At the same time, being an artist, writing and recording for as long as I have, I like to keep it fresh and try new things; I’m starting to write down stuff, just to keep it fresh. Through the years, I’ve always wrote in my head. My first verse I wrote, when I was 8, I wrote in my head. If there’s a line I don’t like, erase it and replace it, it’s just mental. So it’s nothing new to me. I’ve been doing it for years, but with this The Feed album, I’m gonna try something different and write them down.
TWV: I can’t even imagine what that’ll be like if you haven’t been writing them yet. As far as your rhymes, since you are highly respected lyrically, has there ever been a line that might have blew you away? Or a rhyme that you remember coming up with that really stuck with you?
E: I can’t say a rhyme, because I’m always trying to outdo the last rhyme I wrote. I would say concept wise “Guessing Game” is something I’m proud of because I don’t think hip hop had anything like that before it or even after it. I think “Colors” is a cool concept. When I come up with a great concept, and it hits me, I’m like “Why didn’t anyone else think of this?” That’ll ? away more than verses.
TWV: You’re always looked at as underrated because for the content you drop. People may feel you don’t get the shine you deserve; Can you give us five emcees you think are underrated because they don’t get the shine they deserve?
E: Five emcees. This one emcee in his time, I don’t think he’s underrated, but in today’s time, I don’t really hear anybody talking about him…and really, when people say underrated, when they say I’m underrated, I really think that’s just… that comes from them not being aware of what I do. Once people get aware of what certain artist does, then, they may feel differently about that artist. Right now, I feel certain people, or even back then, certain people didn’t know how to feel about my craft because they didn’t know anything about my craft. But if we’re talking about artists that aren’t in the limelight right now, or isn’t in people’s faces, I’d have to go with Lord Finesse. I think Lord Finesse is still an incredible writer. I heard something he did recently that’s incredible. I’m still a fan of Lord Finesse. I’d have to say my boy Fes Rock. Fes Rock is from the D, I featured him on “The Preface.” I’ve had Fes Rock on every project I put out, whether he’s talking or rapping. He was a part of a group I was in back in the day, FOD, I think he’s another guy, Fes Rock. Another guy…wow…
TWV: Maybe even somebody who’s out there, but people don’t view them lyrical, and you feel like they don’t get the props they deserve…
E: Right…I don’t know if I can say this guy, because his crew is blowing up, but I like Earl Sweatshirt from Odd Future. I like what I hear him doing, I think he’s dope. I’m gonna go with One Be Lo, from Binary Star. I got one more? Let me see, I used to like this guy, I haven’t heard him in a long time, it’s a guy that used to be with Def Squad, Sy Scott…
TWV: You’re gonna have people Googling this cat crazy…
E: I think that’s his name. When I used to hear him on Erick Sermon’s tracks, the way that he rapped, and the clever things that he did, I’m gonna have to say him.
TWV: So, if you grew up on Illmatic, then I’m pretty sure you grew up on The Source also. Being an emcee, I’m sure you were looking forward to trying to get the 5 mics as everybody else was. The hip hop media has definitely changed; it’s not the same landscape as it was before. How do you feel about the hip hop media as far as the websites and the blog sites? Do you feel like it’s working out in the best interest of hip hop? Do you wish it was the way it was before with the couple of major publications? How do you feel about the current state of hip hop media?
E: The current state of hip hop media…if it was a perfect world, and it was up to me, it’d be both. The Internet allows people without a major label backing to have a voice; they just have to put in the work. The media outlets online give these people a voice. Whether it be a HiphopDX or Okayplayer, they give people a voice. I still miss the days when the Source and XXL magazines were extremely popular.
TWV: Yeah, I feel you, I didn’t even subscribe to them, I just bought them at the liquor store…
E: Yeah, it was like in that era, going to a record store… my man Fes Rock, we hung together, he’d hit me up, like “I got the new Source.” I’d go to his house, check it out. It’s just something about the book, the pages, flipping through the pages not knowing what’s coming next. Having it in your hand, the smell of the book, the print, the way it was set up with the quotable, the mic ratings, not knowing what the mic rating is before you get to that page. In the perfect world, I’d like to have both.
TWV: Alright, I feel that. Any last words?
E: I appreciate everybody who downloaded Elmatic. If you haven’t, I’d appreciate you do so. It’s my tribute to one of the best hip hop albums ever. You can download that off my website, Elzhi.com. Whoever wants to get at me, it’s @Elzhi on Twitter. I’m on Facebook. I’ll continue to be that instrument that puts forth great music, create a soundtrack or score to people’s lives. Basically be a part of the uplifting and elevation of hip hop. Peace. -
Nice reads Elzhi a real artist i look forward to hearing new projects from him in the future.
Hes on the list of cat out now that when i get some doe I'm copping some of there records/vinyls. -
Nice reads Elzhi a real artist i look forward to hearing new projects from him in the future.
Hes on the list of cat out now that when i get some doe I'm copping some of there records/vinyls.
Yeah, I do fancy picking up Elmatic as a CD from UGHH in the near future…
I appreciate that he prefers a concept over a rhyme, that's cool, that shows someone who really wants to change music and change the 'now', instead of just focusing on bars… I have always been a huge fan of concept records, the more he focuses on those the more of a fan I will become. -
I like this tribute albumn. Normally I listen to music I can relate to, find meaning in or is more poetic and this has it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcKzOZ6Yc78
