Elzhi, one of the most gifted writers and emcees in hip-hop, recently released his latest album, Zhigeist. Matt Horowitz spoke to him about the new project, and working with Georgia Anne Muldrow.
How did you and Georgia Anne Muldrow meet and decide to collaborate for the new album?
Me and Georgia met through BJ Armstrong, who played for the Chicago Bulls. By him being a huge hip-hop head, he wanted to bring us together to create a project. The rest is history.
Had you guys worked together prior to the creation of what would become Zhigeist?
Me and Georgia never worked together before, but I was aware of her capabilities so it was a no-brainer.
What was the writing, recording, and production processes like? Was it affected by COVID-19 restrictions, and how long did it take to complete?
A lot of the production was already created, some of the writing was done at the studio and anywhere else I could catch a vibe. The recording process was easy because of the vibe up at Iron Works Studios. Incredible albums such as To Pimp A Butterfly, Ctrl, and R&G: The Masterpiece was recorded there. It took us a couple of months to find the sound of the record and to complete the project.
Tell me about your sources of personal inspiration and influence while writing and recording the album?
My personal sources of inspiration could come from music, movies, art, food, etc. Basically just about anything that I would consider to be executed correctly.
The artwork is by Dan Lish. Would you say this closely relates to, and ties in with, the album title and themes? Album covers are sadly becoming a lost art. How important are they to you?
Album covers are extremely important to me. I grew up in the cassette/CD era, when the cover was a part of the musical experience.
Georgia Anne Muldrow’s production can lean towards the psychedelic. Did you find that had an influence on the lyrical content heard across Zhigeist?
Georgia’s production had everything to do with my writing approach, style, and vocal delivery. Each verse was written and tailor fitted in every way that the instrumentals spoke to me.
What’s the most important take away you hope people get from the album, and which track is your personal favorite, or the one you are most attached to?
My favorite track on the album at this moment is “Strangeland”. What I hope people get out of it depends on who they are and what they’re looking for. If you’re a writer or producer, I hope you get lost in the layers of the music. If you’re looking for a confidence booster, I hope it serves as an outlet. Or if you’re just looking to vibe out, I hope you find that too. It varies.
What can we expect from you next?
You can expect to hear more ideas and demonstrations in the near future.
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Zhigeist is out now via Nature Sounds – buy it here. Follow Elzhi on Twitter and Instagram.
Matt Horowitz has been a hip-hop fan ever since he first heard Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) back in the mid-90’s, which positively or negatively changed his life ever since, depending on who you ask. He single-handedly runs online music publication The Witzard, and has been fortunate enough to interview Eothen ‘Egon’ Alapatt, Guilty Simpson, Ice-T and Mr. X, Dan Ubick, Career Crooks’ Zilla Rocca & Small Professor, Cut Chemist, and J-Zone, amongst countless others. He enjoys writing about and listening to hip-hop, Punk/Hardcore, and Indie Rock on vinyl with his lovely wife, while drinking craft beer, red wine, or iced coffee. To paraphrase both Darko The Super and the Beastie Boys: “Already Dead fans, they want more of this… I’m a Witzard like my man Matt Horowitz!”. Follow Matt here.