Q&A With Rising Cincinnati, Ohio Based Hip Hop Artist Elias

For all the readers who don’t know, is Elias your real name or your artist name?

Elias is my real name as well as my artist name!

How long have you been making music?  Any specific influences?

I’ve been recording music for about two years now, and commercially I’m influenced by artists like Machine Gun Kelly and Big Sean. Locally, artists/engineers John Junker and Previn Ricks Jr have helped to instill confidence in my abilities to write and record.

What city you from?  How is the Hip Hop scene there?

I was born and raised in the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio. There is a vast scene of local artists and shows that can be found on a weekly basis, definitely a city to keep an eye on for raising talent.

Congrats on your latest project “Corrupted Youth” which we just did a review on?  Break down the project in a few words.

For my first solo project, I’ve really been working to develop my own sound with uplifting/fun tracks showcasing my lyrical abilities.

How are fans and supporters reacting to your project?

Fans and friends have given me pretty diverse feedback and everyone who’s been listening has a different favorite track. I feel like it’s a pretty well rounded first tape.

Cashew the Grape is a long-time childhood friend who I’ve been discovering music and rapping with since the 6th grade. Kilam King is another one of my best friends and we actually have a whole collab mixtape titled “Unidentified” which can be found on SoundCloud.

Any future collabs or projects you working on for 2020?

I have a couple Corrupted Youth bonus tracks coming out soon, one being a 9 minute Cincinnati cypher with six other local artists who I’ve befriended along my journey (Kilam King, Junker, Cashew the Grape, Jaro Esc, Chris Ash, and Brody Coyote) I also am switching my focus into engineering/mastering my own songs in my home studio.

Our highlight question, what your definition of underground hip hop?

To me Underground Hip Hop is a genre defined by artists who have yet to enter the spotlight or are going against the grain of what popular music has set in stone for the masses. My sound can be definitely be seen as somewhat commercial or pop by some but I feel like what sets me apart is my family values, hometown love, and desire to make people think about life beyond the surface level.

Where can people find more of your music other than Spotify?

My music is available on almost all streaming platforms, the top ones being SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music. Physical copies coming soon!

Lastly, and shout outs you have?

I’d like to thank God, my parents, close friends (you know who you are), my girlfriend & stepson for making me the man I am today. Shoutout to lost souls, shoutout to lost kids!