Elzhi’s supporters have been waiting for nearly two years for his new album, but the release of the Detroit wordsmith’s depression has had a delay for even longer. After building a legion of fans as a former member of Slum Village and through solo releases like Elmatic, his 2011 remake of Nas’ debut, Elzhi successfully raised more than $37,000 in November 2013 for a Kickstarter campaign for a new album. He promised an early 2014 release, but the drop was consistently delayed. A few months with scarce updates turned into nearly two years with no album, and angry comments on the campaign’s Kickstarter page began to pile up. The anger reached a head in January 2016, when some Kickstarter backers threatened Elzhi with a class action lawsuit for not delivering the goods. Days later, Elzhi finally announced an official March release date for the album, and he revealed depression as a lead cause for the wait. Pain often extracts the best art, and Elzhi continues that tradition with Lead Poison, his most introspective record to date.
Listeners will be tempted to play the headphone psychiatrist while listening, but Elzhi shows that his mental road blocks aren’t a linear trail of cause-and-effect. On “February,” he revisits a bitter breakup, betrayal from close friends, and the 2006 death of friend J Dilla, over somber piano runs and violins by fellow Michigan native 14KT. Between “Introverted,” “Weedipedia” and “Cloud,” depression surfaces from past-due bills, alcoholism, legal troubles, and painful childhood memories of his mother’s death, seeing crime on Detroit streets and being teased on playgrounds. When he isn’t dedicating entire songs to the issue, bleakness still rears its head. “Alienated” fights to celebrate individuality while coping with feelings of isolation, and the frustration of the self-explanatory “Friendzone” bleeds through its lively soul sample.
“One of the reasons why I’ve been gone is because I’ve been getting chased by this fucking black cloud that I can’t seem to shake,” Elzhi said in an interview, estimating four years that he has dealt with it. “It’s always been there, but I couldn’t see it because I was moving around a lot. … It felt like my world was caving in.” With subtly nuanced vocal inflections and storytelling that digs into some issues while only giving a glimpse of others, the despondency and vulnerability feels real on Lead Poison. The pitfalls amplify the redemption of songs like “The Healing Process” and “Keep Dreaming,” the defiant album closer.
When he isn’t tackling new ground with his improved emotional depth, it’s the same Elzhi that got fans to invest in the Kickstarter campaign: witty punchlines, complex rhyme schemes and creative concepts. “Egocentric” is a blackout shit-talking session, “Two 16’s” cleverly flips the musical term of 16 bars to tell a pair of intertwining stories about teenagers, and “Misright” stacks wordplay with the prefix “mis-” while running through a list of relationships that didn’t work. “She Sucks,” a horror movie on wax that depicts Elzhi as a vampire wreaking havoc in Detroit, veers left with its eccentricity, but for listeners who don’t want to dwell on depression, the top tier talent displays are still there, and as sharp as ever.
The only area of weakness on the comeback project is the production. There are definitely highlights, like Joself’s spacey soul of “Alienated” and the beautiful arrangements by 14KT and Nick Speed on “February” and “Medicine Man.” But while all of these beats are good, very few of them feel innovative; they’re more of the same type of soul samples that Elzhi has always rhymed over. Some listeners will enjoy the sound as nostalgia, while others will be disappointed that an album with a hefty delay didn’t update its sonic palette in the process.
Expectations will be high after nearly two years of delays, and only time will tell if donors will receive all their rewards from the Kickstarter campaign (Elzhi has promised that they’re still on the way). But as an album, Lead Poison is ultimately worth the wait: both for fans looking to enjoy music they’ve invested their time and energy in, and for Elzhi to exorcise his demons.
Dope album. 5/5 for me. Dense lyricism, great concepts and mellow production.
Loved the album but production could have used just a little more bite, esp after the Preface. I’d say 4/5 about right.
When’s the vinyl dropping?
5
he needs this on google music
April 1st fam
I’m still waiting for my “Lead Poison” hard copy. I do hope Elzhi doesn’t turn out to be another Robert Perry (I’m still waiting for my copy of Ghostface’s “12 reasons to die” I bought off bandcamp to arrive). I’ve had the digi version of Lead Poison for a few days now….It’s good and this HH DX review is on the mark.
Elzhi came with top tier lyricism on this joint. This dude is a rappers rapper and this album is dope as fuck. This is the best pure hip hop album I have heard since Pryhme.
Dope beats, dope rhyme, dope concepts, it’s relatable… What more do ya’ll want??
5/5. Beats on the second half might not be perfect but the rhymes make up for it. Way more dope beats than average ones. Nobody puts the words together like el.
Nostalgia, nah. This is what Hip-Hop is supposed to sound like. 5/5 for me.
Forgot to rate
Great album!
Dope album!!
my only complain is that some songs are a bit too similar production wise, but i’ll just give it a perfect 5, real music from start to finish. Anyone know why he didn’t put “P.S” on here?
Elzhi spits some real shit, dope lyrics over nice beats.Exactly what we have come to expect from the Detroit spitter.
5/5 instant classic i forgot about this guy better then untitled .. yup 100% c’mon son
So Kendrick’s avg at best untitle project gets a 4.4 and Elzhi’s near masterpiece (production was good just wish Alchemist, Madlib, KNO, 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, Primo each had 1 beat somehow and also wanted some of the tracks to have some more incredible verses) but this album gets a 4/5 (B- 80%)? To me it’s an A or A- album so 4.5/5 or 4.75.
Elzhi is one of the illest emcees EVER period! Always in my personal top10 (As our Kool G Rap, Black Thought, Rakim, Nas, Pharoahe Monch, Eminem, BigL, BigPun).
He says some of the most poetic technically proficient rewind quotables of all time. He’s Big L mixed with Nas! Flow is effortless!
the community speaks! will DX respond? Of course not! This review is disappointing…
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, as always. But even some of the commenters who raged it 5/5 commenter ratings highlight the same issues with production that I pointed out in the review. And since when is a 4-star rating disappointing? That’s still a great rating, and it’s a great album.
But Kendrick’s loosies were better??? No way.. Kendrick “Drugs won’t get you high as this, blah blah blah, levitate levitate levitate”. Don’t get me wrong I love Kendrick, but no way untitled unmastered was better than this. Not even the production… and Elzhi’s production on here doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it is still dope and fresh. And the lyrics and concepts here… and just the straight realness. This is one of the realest albums I’ve ever heard.. he got Earl Sweatshirt personal but with Elzhi flair.
Illmatic is a 5. That’s all I need to say.
From an unpredictability standpoint, yes, Kendrick gave listeners a little more variation and creativity with his compilation (probably because it was never a fully realized project to begin with). And with each track, you’re able to get slivers on what made TPAB so masterful (if you’re on that side of the spectrum; I totally get those who were bored with it as well). Elzhi came back proper but we can’t help think this is somewhat of warm-up for the next faction of his career.
P.S. I love the arguments over .4’s of a point. Love it.
Head is the answer, head is the future!!!! – Kendrick Lamar
Elzhi’s is a 4.5… either this review was premature or the listener didn’t give enough credit. Elzhi talks about tangible things, whereas Kendrick’s raps are so complex that nobody knows what he is saying.. I doubt Kendrick even knows what he is saying sometimes. He is like Mos Def or Jay Electronica.. their concepts are so abstract that they don’t really make sense, but poetically they sound cool and they allude to interesting thoughts/ideas. Elzhi deserves more credit than this.. especially from a site with the words hip hop in the url.
Agreed with ayy. Elzhi’s rhymes are dope and complex but also something you can take with you. Healing process is one of the best songs about coping with depression I ever heard. And there’s just quotable after quotable with this album over modern sounding hip hop beats. As for untitled it’s cool and different but to quote jay-z “Just cus you don’t understand him it don’t mean that he nice, it just means you don’t understand all the bullshit that he write.” Show love to dudes who execute a specific vision, not just the dudes who try the craziest shit.
Your a moron bro you liked the album cause it remined you of another album? You DX staffers are so gay for Kendrick its pathetiic. Go cop some real shit and bump that instead of your “whats poppin at K-Mart” rap albums
I agree with The Ice Cold Phenom. Anyone who complains the record is lacking in production just doesn’t know hip hop. I will admit I would’ve liked some Black Milk beats on here though. The rapping on this album is just top notch.. 5 star bars. Elzhi has never rapped this personally before.. and it was dope to hear how he feels. Amazing album.
Dope
5/5
ELZHI IS BETTER THAN YOU. HE’S BETTER THAN YOU
Elzhi is a beast and all but to be honest this album is boring, Elzhi sounds depressed as f*ck and the only beat i remembered was that spooky scooby doo one. I’m disappointed :/ Oh well, going back to Elmatic and The Preface
One of the best albums I’ve listened to, in a long long time . Elzhi’s rhymes always hit you right in the feels
HELLO!!!
Might be the best album out this year so far , been waiting too long for this .Didn’t disappoint
This album is a 4.5/5 or 4.75/5 (A- or A). Only thing keeping it from A/A+ (and it’s still easily the best HipHop album so far of this year and will be tough to beat b-c of Elzhi’s impeccable technical/poetic/effortless/BRILLIANT emcee skills pen game wise, concepts, storytelling, realness, flow, etc, mixed with some very solid if simply production) is the great track P.S. not being on there (instead of maybe She Sucks or MisRight neither bad tracks just weaker then the other ones), 5-10 more total verses (I believe Keep Dreaming is the only 3 verse track on here right? Always want Quality over quantity and Elzhi gives that both with his time inbetween projects, thoughtfulness, i just would of liked a few more 2-3 verse tracks b-c he’s that ill) and one beat each from Primo, Alchemist, Madlib, Apollo Brown, KNO, and Pete Rock, but for all i know he will be working with some legends like that on the next project.
GREAT album by one of the illest emcees ever!
Best Tracks: Medicine Man, Introvert, Weedipedia, February, Egocentric, Two16s, Hello, Friendzone, Healing Process, Alienated CoSign, Keep Dreaming. Cloud (dope beat especially just needed more verses), MisRight, She Sucks all at least solid just the 3 weakest to me. If the album was those first 12 tracks i mentioned plus P.S. and maybe an absolute banger by Primo, Madlib, KNO (of Cunnin Lynguists), Pete Rock, and Alchemist for 18 total tracks it would of been an absolute CLASSIC (yes 18 tracks is a lot and tons of classics have 10-13, but Capital Punishment, Life After Death, WuTang4ever Moment of Truth 4 of my favorite albums also with 18+ tracks),. Still a great Elzhi album to add to his dope (if less than we’d all like) discography (which goes back to mid/late 90s don’t sleep)
Banger by Apollo Brown would of made it 18 tracks as my math above only 17. Follow me on twitter @superdopehiphop and let’s connect/build/talk great hiphop. I’d love to talk about emcees like Elzhi, Black Thought, Pharaohe Monch, Kool G Rap, Big L, Big Pun, Eminem, Tonedeff, Diabolic, Brother Ali, RA the Rugged Man, Aesop Rock, One Be Lo, PerceeP, MC Juice, Locksmith, Royce, Crooked, Apathy, Fashawn, Blu, AZ, Masta Ace, Rakim, Outkast, ChinoXL, Ka, Roc Marciano, Your Old Droog, Cambatta, NinoBless, Horseshoe Gang, GangStarr, EPMD, Mobb Deep, Jada/Styles P, BigDaddy Kane, KRS, Slick Rick, Masta Ace, Louis Logic, Common, Cube, Kweli, MosDef, Lupe, Token, Reks, Phonte and on and on and on. Get at me @superdopehiphop
is this album ever getting a physical release? If it already has one, where the hell can I grab it?
after a few weeks to sit on these albums i have to say this is much better then royce layers HELLO!!! verse 1 and 2 of the year as far as lyrics
Dope ass rhymes. Beats are pretty decent to good. This album will definitely hold up well over the next few years. Elzhi is gonna put out a classic soon. I swear this guy just keeps getting better every time I listen to him.
5.
Way too fresh, Elzhi always delivers
Fuck Elzhi. Dudes like this is the reason I don’t use kickstarter.
Uh he delivered the album what more do you want
FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!