Emcee of the Month: Elzhi

Zhi channels Esco.

I've had a love/hate relationship with the current trajectory of hip hop music. Much of the recent work has placed an emphasis on lyrics that employ very few words but still communicate the emcee's wit and cleverness. It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it challenges rappers to work within very narrow parameters while still practicing the age old ritual of artistic one-upmanship. However, it conversely acclimates the listeners to a much less syllabically rich lyrical tapestry. The audience is no longer able to process the same quantities of information.

I hope the efforts of emcees like Elzhi work to counteract this phenomenon. This type of ability should not go unnoticed. This is truly a dope track. I hope you enjoy.

peace.

Emcee of the Month: Elzhi

If you are unfamiliar with the work of Nasir Jones I would suggest having a listen here, here, and here before watching the video below. These are selected track from his legendary 1994 release Illmatic, which was the inspiration and blueprint for Elzhi's latest project, ELmatic. Download a free copy of ELmatic at Elzhi's website here.

A couple days ago I posted a tribute to The Roots, a group of artists who have significantly affected my views on artistry and performance. I think Elzhi's collaboration with funk/soul/hip hop/experimental/jazz band Will Sessions is a wonderfully fitting example of the kinds of things capable with live instrumentation in hip hop. After having a listen to the original Nas tracks, then the Elzhi recreations, I must admit the flair and texture of actual instruments is much more appealing and inspires more interest and movement, at least with me. There's something about the inconsistency and unpredictability of live sound that catches my ear in a way programmed counterparts simply doesn't.

Don't get me wrong; my admiration for hip hop producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and J Dilla. The feats they achieve with programmable instrumentation are nothing less than extraordinary. But every once in a while, I crave live sounds. Thankfully, this album delivers a healthy blend of both. Give it a listen. It's dope.

peace.

Emcee of the Month: Elzhi

This is an interview of Elzhi by The Hip Hop Chronicle UK. Decent interviews of this cat are hard to find.

Why is the camera moving around so much!? Hold still!

What's best about this dude is his genuine sense of humility and gratitude. I don't think Elzhi ever really planned to be as much in the (relative) limelight as he finds himself now. He's a former member of one of hip hop's most legendary groups, consistently mentioned as one of the most gifted rap lyricists working in this era, and is part of a small number of very talented emcees who carry torches for Detroit hip hop. I think all he ever hoped was to be a dope emcee and give some hot live performances. I have an immense amount of respect for this cat's accomplishments so far, but most especially for not losing himself along the way.

In addition to this video, I've found this written interview of Elzhi by Kevin Nottingham. (See here.) This is a very smart interview and fills in a lot of information most of the videos don't capture. I encourage you to have a look.

peace.