Feature Artist of the Month - December - Eloji
We caught up with Melbourne emcee Eloji (previously know as Arks) for a quick chat about what his up to and his latest release One. Make sure you download One if you havnt already done so. http://www.mediafire.com/?ks6dg9p47o4536p
BOTA: When did you first start writing and recording tracks and why did you feel the need to do so?
BOTA: When did you first start writing and recording tracks and why did you feel the need to do so?
ELOJI: Yo! I first started writing when I was about thirteen after freestyling at house parties with my old partner in crime , Deafs. We started freestyling and writing tracks and then finally recording them at my mate Diaz’s with a shitty mic and a blanket for a booth. I started writing purely just for the fun of it, and then it eventually grew into something much more then I could have ever imagined. I felt the need to write everyday to express how I was feeling. My parents went through a rough divorce when I was about thirteen, So my outlet was the pen and the pad.
BOTA: You originally went under the stage name of Arks, but have recently changed the your name to Eloji. What do both of these names mean, that is if they have a meaning behind them and why did you decide to make the switch?
ELOJI: The name arks, was a my name all mushed together and I used to go under the alias Arks when I was a young teen so that just became my name when I started rapping. I was proud of the name I had made for myself but then there was a little controversy with the Name ‘Arks’. There’s a veteran hiphop DJ called Arks, So after building a solid name formyself i changed my name to ‘Eloji’ out of respect for a fellow hiphop head. Eloji is simply a play on the word ‘Elegy’, meaning a sort of sad lament. So that’s what it was, “RIP Arks, But heres the Eloji’.
BOTA: Your latest release, "One" really steps up your music to a new level. The line "welcome to a musical journal of the passionate kid who started rapping" taken form the opening track What Is This? suggests that the entire release is based on personal experiences. What inspired the mix tape?
ELOJI: Appreciate that homie, cheers! The main premise of ‘ONE’ was I had one week to write enough tracks for a Mixtape and then recorded them all in one studio session. A few bumps were hit on the way to the final product but I was happy with the final product. It was more of a goal that I wanted to complete then me simply rushing the tape. That line was simply saying, you know, welcome, this is me, im here and this is what I do. And I aint budging!
BOTA: How do you feel that the mix tape has been received by the Australian Hip Hop community?
ELOJI: The tapes so far has had a good reception, standing at something just over 1000 downloads and all feedback has been good. Not too sure if many emcees have peeped it. But the fans seam to be enjoying it, so that’s always a good sign!
Been A While by Eloji
BOTA: Your ability to tell stories through your lyricism is one that can be compared to some of the grates. The track "Dear Me" sees you talk about your life now at the age of 17 form a future perspective, Who is it that guides you on your way and keeps you striving for more each and every day?
ELOJI: Yeah, Writing ‘Dear Me’ was one of those songs that I sat and wrote it in like an hour. Just came to me. Obviously I’m a fan of hiphop first, so all the big names inspire me to do what I do and what I aspire to be. My homies have a massive influence over my sound; Homies like, Dibe, De La Krem, Soliloquay, then the US heads Atmosphere, talib Kweli and all that! All the shit I’ve seen and been through also gives me that push to make good music. But in the end its all about the fans, So big ups to everyone of em! I do it for all of you.
BOTA: This coming Sunday (11th December) your supporting Illy in a one off u18 show along with Bam Bam who has just come off a national tour supporting 360. How did you land this gig and what can the audience expect from your live performance?
ELOJI: Yeah landing this gig was a massive surprise to me, a homie told me I should hit up illy and see if he needed support so I did, and funnily enough he was thinking of me supporting so shit just worked out. My homie Dibe will be joining me on stage as well as DJ Prequel and we gotta a pretty good set lined up within our half hour time, some new shit, some old shit, should be dope! We’re both very excited and can’t wait for it.
BOTA: Earlier this year you released a snippet of a track under your original named Arks titled Don't Cry. When listening to this track it sends shivers down your spine and tears from your eyes. It is clear that you have have your fair share of life experiences in your 17 years how have these experiences shaped you as a person today?
ELOJI: My experiences to this day continue to shape me to be the man child I am. Every little word I speak is true. The cancer, the car crash, all of it.Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I got it hard, fuck its simple compared to most but its defintly been a journey. I appreciate every day that I have on this earth and people take life for granted and should learn from this. I’m just trynna spread some wisdoms for the kids and hopefully they head my words. Be safe. Otherwise I’ll hunt you down.
Don't Cry (Official Snippet) by Eloji
BOTA: In late august we saw you drop your Under 18 rapper tag which shows the talent that is coming through the scene. How did you go about writing your rapper tag as rap ciphers are a very different style rap which many may not have been exposed to prior to rapper tag.
ELOJI: Yeah mixed emotions were felt with that. I mean it was all fun and games with that cipher, It was just something I wrote in 20 minutes and spat on the webcam. I remember the first 3 rapper tags were dropped in 24 hours. Yeah rappertag has opened many different styles, gimmics and jokes to serious wisdom being dropped. Each emcee has done their own thing and respect to them for that.
BOTA: What have you got planned in the way of future releases, will we see Danny Leever finally jump on Don't Cry?
ELOJI: We had planned for Dani Leever to do the hook but the final version is still in the hands of the powers that be. Can’t do much about it. But that track definitely changed the course of my life with something like 10,000 plays in 24 hours. For any relatively underground rapper, that’s absolutely crazy and it really got my name out there.
Peace, and remember One love.
ELOJI .
