“eLZhi is one of the only emcees that is keeping me on my toes right now. I hear his verses and they make me go back to the lab.” – Phonte (Little Brother)

“eLZhi’s my favorite emcee out of Detroit and his versatility with subject matter and flows is unparalleled. He’s definitely got a gift.” – Guilty Simpson

As hip-hop culture continues to grow on a worldwide scale, the art of the emcee is in decline. Lyricism and content have taken a backseat to over-simplified swagger while the complex rhyme patterns and breathtaking wordplay of the finest rappers of the golden age have started to fade into obscurity. Thankfully, hip-hop music still has talent like that of eLZhi, the seasoned Detroit emcee that not only honors the meticulous poetry of Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G. Rap, but also raises the bar for emcee craftsmanship for an entirely new generation.

After grinding in the Detroit underground during the late ‘90’s, eLZhi began working with future local luminaries such as Jay Dee (aka J Dilla), Waajeed (Platinum Pied Pipers), and Dwele. Following his impressive performance on Jay Dee’s “Come and Get It” track from the Welcome II Detroit album, he was selected as the new third member of Slum Village, later shining on smash singles “Tainted (feat. Dwele)” and “Selfish (feat. Kanye West).” The three albums that El recorded as a member of the group (Trinity, Detroit Deli, and Slum Village) sold a total of more than 300,000 units, and further established Slum Village as one of the most respected modern hip-hop groups amongst both their peers and a worldwide legion of fans.

With years of recording and touring under his belt as a member of Slum Village, eLZhi is finally ready to make his mark as a solo artist. Even without an official solo release, the 2005 mix CD Witness My Growth continues to circulate amongst the core of his fan base. Hip-hop enthusiasts across the globe consider him to be one of the most skilled emcees in the entire scene, and even blogs and message boards have been trumpeting this sentiment since the release of the last Slum Village album in 2005. His 2008 tour release, Europass was very well received; XXL Magazine awarded it an XL rating, and OkayPlayer praised eLZhi, saying, “The lyrical display in this one is nothing short of insane.” With his debut album, The Preface, eLZhi looks to cement his name amongst the greatest emcees in the game.¹

Tracklist:
01 - Intro (The Preface) (Prod. by Black Milk)
02 - The Leak (Feat. Ayah) (Prod. by Black Milk)
03 - Guessing Game (Prod. by Black Milk)
04 - Motown 25 (Feat. Royce Da 59) (Prod. by Black Milk)
05 - Brag Swag (Prod. by Black Milk)
06 - Colors (Prod. by Black Milk)
07 - Fire (Remix) (Feat. Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Fatt Father, Danny Brown & Fat Ray) (Prod. by Black Milk)
08 - D.E.M.O.N.S. (Prod. by Black Milk)
09 - Save Ya (Feat. TJ) (Prod. by TJ)
10 - Yeah (Feat. Phat Kat) (Prod. by Black Milk)
11 - Transitional Joint (Baby Girl Glow) (Prod. by Black Milk)
12 - Talking In My Sleep (Prod. by Black Milk)
13 - The Science (Feat. Fes Roc) (Prod. by DJ Dez)
14 - Hands Up (Prod. by Black Milk)
15 - What I Write (Prod. by Black Milk)
16 - Growing Up (Feat. A.B.) (Prod. by Black Milk)

1. myspace - elzhi [↩]

coming august 12th. elzhi’s (slum village member) debut album. almost entirely produced by black milk.

Tracklist:
01 - Intro (The Preface)
02 - The Leak f. Ayah
03 - Guessing Game
04 - Motown 25 f. Royce Da 5′9″
05 - Brag Swag
06 - Colors
07 - Fire (rmx) f. Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Fatt Father, Danny Brown, & Fat Ray
08 - D.E.M.O.N.S.
09 - Save Ya f. T3 prod. by T3
10 - Yeah f. Phat Kat
11 - Transitional Joint
12 - Talking In My Sleep
13 - The Science f. Fes Roc prod. by DJ Dez
14 - Hands Up
15 - What I Write
16 - Growing Up f. A.B.