SMOKE SIGNAL - Malik Elijah
Artwork - SMOKE SIGNAL
“MARYLAND BORN, BOSTON AREA BASED” reads the Instagram bio for Malik Elijah, who released his EP, SMOKE SIGNAL, on March 10th. Three tracks, less than seven minutes in run time, but I was so locked in that it felt like a genuine fifteen or twenty minutes and had me asking, “What the hell just happened?” It’s the perfect story. From the first scene to the final act, Malik Elijah is one of the hottest out.
I love people who tell a story, whether it’s with their words or with their intentions, and Malik does a fantastic job understanding those two concepts, on both macro and micro levels. As individual songs, each one stands out and has its purpose. “OWNLANE” is a beautiful opening, in which Elijah plants his flag in the ground to declare his kingdom, with a voice that rivals the power of Zeus. “BRANDNEW” is your main course, that second scene where the story really picks up, both in content and energy. Immediately, you’re pulled out from that first world and injected into a completely new dimension, but as soon as Malik starts back up again, you feel that same, Mt.Olympus-esque presence.
“HALLELUYAY” is that final scene, and it feels like a release more than anything. While the first two are, pound for pound, some of the best Hip-Hop out there, this one feels like the positive feelings at the end when something bad happens. The road of the traveler is long and winding, but because of the wisdom learned along the way, they find that light at the end of the tunnel. Now, take all that, zoom out, and look at this project as a single, comprehensive work, you see an incredible story of growth and persistence. I love this whole thing, top to bottom. I haven’t had music speak to me in a long time, but that streak broke today. This is timeless Hip-Hop.
A lot of things have changed in my life. I got a new job that will help me further my career in the music industry, I love helping out in the creative communities that I’m a part of, and now, we’re just keeping on and trying to find the hottest shit out. And I don’t just mean hot, they need to be smokin’.
Cause’ when there’s smoke, there’s fire.
