Civil Interview: Elzhi Discusses The Making Of ‘Lead Poison,’ Detroit Rap, And J. Dilla’s Album
by Staff Editor
How would you describe your new Lead Poison album?
It’s just personal. It has personal stories about my life and things that I was going through at the time.
What was the process behind making it?
Pretty much, it was all about trying to find the proper balance between being personal and playful. I was able to accomplish that through a lot of writing. When I first started writing it, it was a lot of dark material, and then I was able to transition into it being a bit more playful.
How would you classify “playful” to you as an MC?
It’s really about the production I used. It was my take on a Tim Burton and whimsical-esque production. I was playing around with concepts, which you can hear on “Hello!!!!!” and “Cloud” and “Ego.” It’s just different takes on putting the message out there and being creative.
How do you hope your loyal fans receive the project?
First of all, I’d like them to see it in a few ways. If they are going through the same thing that I went through, then hopefully it helps them to open up the dialogue for themselves. I hope it encourages them to find an outlet to cope with the problems that they’re facing, or if they’re into music themselves, or writing, maybe they could pick up the things I used as far as techniques like wordplay. Maybe they can peep out the ways that I wrote something from a creative standpoint. Most of all, I just want people to feel it, and just vibe to it.
What were your biggest inspirations for Lead Poison?
One of my biggest inspirations was Slick Rick and his The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick album. Another one, as I mentioned, was Time Burton with his movies like Edward Scissorhands and Beetle Juice. Even Quentin Tarantino and Marvin Gaye were big inspirations, so there were a few.
What is a standout track to you?
It changes every time. One of them is “Hello!!!!!” At first I was wondering if people were going to get it, but I’m actually getting a great response to that record. A lot of people like that record who I thought it might go over their heads. I think it’s one of the most creative records I’ve written.