Detroit, Michigan emcee eLZHi has long been working on his conceptual mixtape, Elmatic. The free release takes its title and inspiration from New York emcee Nas‘ classic 1994 debut album, Illmatic. This is El’s first release since his 2008 solo debut album, The Preface.
A spokesperson for the emcee confirmed to HipHopDX today that Elmatic will release on May 10, directly through Elzhi.com. Details are still revealing of the project from the former Slum Village member. Already, the artist released “Verbal Intercourse, Pt. 2” 
, an ode to a non-Illmatic Nas tune. Within the song, El spoke candidly about the state of his relationship with SV’s T3, as well as the group’s onetime manager RJ Rice.
Last year, another emcee, Fresno, California’s Fashawn, made a similar mixtape with DJ Green Lantern, Ode To Illmatic .
(April 12)
UPDATE: New details have emerged on eLZHi’s Elmatic. The May 10 release will feature a guest verse from Royce Da 5’9, along with appearances by Mint Condition’s Stokely (who appears with Royce on “Life’s A Bitch”), and Amp Fiddler on “The World Is Yours.” Additionally, the free release features completely re-played instrumentation of Nas’ 1994 solo debut, Illmatic by producer band Will Sessions.
Elzhi is better than 99% of the rappers in the States!
99% might be a bit high of a percentage. But yeah… he’s destroying a gang of niggas off top.
May 10th just got more relevant. Lord willing I see the day regardless, let alone tomorrow.
I know there’s only 2 comments, but we’ve been waiting since 2009! YES!!!!!!!!
eLZhi IS better than your favorite rapper!
eLZhi be the best around for a long time. stop sleepin’ on him
this isnt the 1st project he’s released since The Preface he’s dropped The Leftovers mixtape since The Preface released which is fire
Elmatic is prolly the joint ive been mos lookin forward to hearin in a long time Elz a beast theres maybe 5 MCs out now who can hold up on a track with him
It’s one thing to give props to another MC, but goddamn he’s on Nas’s PIPE!!
Shut that bullshit up nigga, u cant be serious.
That’s what’s wrong with ignorant music listeners. Ignorance is just going to be ignorance. This nigga Elzhi is probably in reality the best MC of all time when it comes to word play.
If I was Nas, I wouldn’t want no body but Elzhi doing a project like this…and on top of that….he flipped it and still did it in a dope and ORIGINAL way.
One of the best rappers out there paying homage to the best hip hop album of all time. YEAH! But after Elmatic drops, he should release his second album not too far after that.
FINALLY! Looking foward to it.
The brother is nice, i hope he can bring some classic, shit..That original hip hop
can’y wait
the preface was sickenin….cant wait for this shit…
Plz Plz ppl whos not familiar with eLZHi take note: This dude is just as technically sharp as Eminem..IMO with wordplay. subtract the crazy content and the skin color and u have a replica! DO NOT sleep on this cat. If you wanna get familiar jus check his last album named “Preface”. folk taking a nap on eL man!! #realhiphop
Elzhi>>>>Eminem by a light year
If eminem can come in between the infinite album and marshall mathers lp type of rhyming, then i would love to see him do a track with el. Eminem of now and the last 7 yrs, oh no em would get showed up by elzhi hard!
no offense but who is this guy?????
Get outta here, fucking faggot. Don’t click on a site with hip hop in it’s domain ever again.
Forreal yo how you on the internet blog searchin and you never heard of elzhi? Pleasee man this cat been murderin beats for a minute
anonymous STFU n dont ever click on a Hip Hop site again, your the type of fuckin cornball thats fuckin up Hip Hop
Elzhi’s never had a major promotion so everyone isnt gonna know who he is, and its the job of Hip Hoppers to help promote him n get his name out NOT fuckin insult cats who ask who he is clown
now run the fuck on
@hey
Elzhi was a member of Detroit rap group Slum Village and has put out solo works like his debut album The Preface and mixtapes Witness my Growth and The Leftovers
he’s worked on several collab joints with Royce da 5’9 and Black Milk who produced the majority of The Preface and all 3 have appeared on multiple projects of each others
you should hit youtube n check some of his material because he’s one of the greatest artist Hip Hop has…
The guy has ill word play, never was a huge slum fan but i descoverd tracks at the end of last year that were done in 07 Better late than never, i mean it ain’t pop like lupe so don’t expect to hear anthing about him in the mainstrem
ELZHI = SLUM VILLAGE = J DILLA
FOR THE UNDER THE ROCK DWELLERS
Elzhi>Nas as of right now come on esco dont let the young one eclipse you he’s damn near up there with you real niggaz who know about lyrics know i am right
No. Simply no.
LOL TRUTH that is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard… as of right now Elzhi is on the verge of eclipsing the MC with the greatest catalog in rap history? Absolutely not. And how could he eclipse Nas when his CD is obviously paying homage to the greatest hip hop CD of all time? Absurd. Props to Elzhi for paying homage and being lyrical but next to Esco… he is nothing special… ONE
Elshi is truly nothing special…this dude would not even get this much attention if it was not for him rying to copy and paste Nas’ Classic CD Illmatic!
And this nigga has the nerve to state his name as truth saying some ish like that. Nigga is pulling inspiration from a Nas LP. So how does ElZHI > NAS compute?
Niggas need to kill themselves in the 2011.
all of u dudes go listen to the preface all the way through…and then ya can talk about him not being anything special. Also elzhi is lyrically better than him at the moment, no one said he was a better artist than him. Now hop off nas dick and quit getting mad when a newer artist is getting high praise u herbs!
the reason i don’t know who elzhi is because in the south these dudes don’t get no play , no one be rockin slum village round here and i’m keepin it real when i say that , i put that on me bruh
First off: ’bout fukkin’ time El!
Second: No prob hey, I’m still tryin’ to figure out who the fukk’s lil’ waine…
Can’t wait!!! eLZHi is the best MC out there!
Been waiting for this for ages. This should be a classic. Still bumping that Motown 25 tune he did with Royce 5’9 which was produced by Black Milk
That Ode to Illmatic was actually pretty great, shoulda got more attention.
Why would you put so much work into a “FREE” mixtape? Makes no sense whatsoever. I’m a SLUM VILLAGE/ELZI fan but cutty GET YO MONEY!!!
because some people care more about the culture than the coin n Elzhi is one of them…
@Young Lou:
coz hes a true artist
yep easy to tell that elzhi got his influence from nas… i detected some intricate street shit type flows.Since the the leftovers umixed tape specifically his ‘the great’ song got me thinking this nigga is slept on too much.
Ayo since this is paying homage to Illmatic. If he had Royce on a “lifes a bitch” type song. OH MY GOD. Shut the fucking game down. Elzhi is definitely one of the most slept on rappers out there, maybe the most. These faggot cats need to get their shit together and listen to music like this.
Elzhi,Guilty Simspon and Black Milk are on the same level stop sleeping on them 2
El is one of the greatest, but I can’t say that I’m very excited about this project. A new solo would be welcomed much more.
Fuck this sorry excuse for a mc, I’ll destroy him in a battle
rap even my homie Justin bieber will out rap this chump!! It’s Gucci Time!!!!!
LOL stop lying!
stfu you Delusional retard!
lol your ass is getting a little notorious on this site
once again, this guy with the bad sense of humor.
man he should of put Skyzoo on Life’s A Bitch rather than Royce. An Elzhi and Skyzoo collaboration would be incredible!
why not royce?? hes better lyrically (when hes not fucking around that is)
Somebody is going to scoop Elzhi up….then yall all will start jockin him…….Watch..if dude keep putting out music….someone is going to sign him. Roc Nation or Shady or someone is going to get this dude.
ELZHI IS A THREAT
jay z wont sign his ass because he will remember nas and then remember ether and then he will cry an beyonce’s big ass.
typo on beyonce’s big ass
LMAO! I bet that Jay-Z still got nightmares about the moment he first heard Ether.
nas, he dont wanna be scooped up, he cool where he at, cant wait for this tho
CANT FUCKING WAIT!!!!!!!