The moment we met Elijah a couple years back felt like yesterday. I remember recording a song with him within just knowing him 2 hours. From that day on we knew this guy was passionate about the culture and music. This week we celebrate his dream in action. An album titled 'Being Myself' by Elijah Miguel. Check out our exclusive latest interview with him.

Why did you make this album ?

1) Music Is My 9-5. It's also my passion. Not everyone gets a chance t make a living doing what they love. If I wasn't making music, I wouldn't be able     to feed myself, or pay my bills. I feel very fortunate.

What inspired you to make this album?

2) Dating back to my last album "Enough Is Enough" where I put my foot down and took creative control over my career, I finally felt the the freedom  to truly be myself in my art. This gave me the confidence and inspiration to create an album from a new comfort zone.

What is your goal as a hip hop artist and artist in general?

3) My goal is to make people fall in love with Hip Hop the same way I did. I want to captivate minds and give a voice to the have-not's, the underdogs,the outcasts, and the disenfranchised.

When did you know you wanted to make music?

4) When I first heard Boogie Down Productions "My Philosophy" It changed the way I viewed Hip Hop because, before KRS One, Hip Hop was mostly celebrated for being battle or party oriented. KRS One as a lyricist, changed the dynamics and the environment for Hip Hop culture. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be a part of Hip Hop and make music.

How did you come up with the title for the album? What inspired That?

5) My creative freedom to make music from an authentic place, is the driving force and the main reason why I named my new album, "Being Myself"

What is your dream now that you just accomplished this dream?

6) That's a very good question, because dreams or goals change once you accomplish them. When I first got into making music, my goal was to improve and provide a means for a living. Now that I've done that, I've set new goals and dreams to eventually provide the same opportunities make music that I got. I'd like to be an executive with my own music imprint in the near future.

Who helped make this album what it is? Writers,Producers,Muses, Support system, etc

7) BirthPlace Music 718, T.H.E.M. Recordings, Steelohim Gallery, Real Life Music Group, Makin' Moves, My Public Relations and Management for marketing and promotions.  Kofi Black, Anthony Jones, Hason who is also responsible for mixing & mastering the entire album at Real Job Studios,

Mic Handz, Doc Ahk, Mike Fuego, Elaine Kristal, Izaiah Graves, Sean, J'son Unique, Afro Soul, Skanks The Rap Martyr, & ENC all did a phenomenal job being featured artists on the album. The stellar production came from Anthony Jones, Raphael Walton, Khajmir, & J. Flawless. 

What is your favorite track? Why?

8) "Dream" Ft. Kofi Black is my favorite track on the album. This track really captures how I didn't want to see my mother suffer anymore 

   (I.E. her battle with stage 4 cancer) and how I'm keeping the memory of my older brother Orlando alive. He died before I had the chance to know    him and he never got the chance to live out his dreams. That's what inspired this record. I feel like I'm not only living for myself, but I'm also living out his dreams too.

LISTEN AND LEARN ABOUT 'BEING MYSELF'

ELIJAH MIGUEL-BEING MYSELF IS IN STORES NOW!

Elijah Miguel returns with his sophomore album "Being Myself". A soulful score detailing his search for solace and peace in the eye of the storm. He shares his personal struggles candidly touching base on a multitude of his own adversities; from both his parents fighting terminal cancer after reconciling his differences with his father, to coping with the pain of losing a older brother he never met.

Elijah's lyrical resiliency is a motif. His approach is witty and constant; wisely choosing his words with acute accuracy; such as clever lines on "Good Intentions"  where he raps "its Ironic how we wait until there's no time to waste, yet with what's left, is the only opportunity we take" or on the melodic anthem"Let Me Be Great"  where he addresses his ineffective haters spewing lines like "I'm annoyed, arm chair generals think they control what's being programmed from a lazy-boy, playing these fake gate keepers outta pocket, change is key, but you're the farthest thing from a locksmith.."

The Production is mostly spearheaded by Anthony Jones who is also featured on the song "Give It My Best'' producers Raphael Walton, Jamir Flawless & Khajmir also play strong parts in the soundtracking of the album. It's production quality is crisp without losing it's low end.The beats are a juncture of finely chopped samples, compositions and live instrumentation working simultaneously to fit the themes and moods making the album's sequence feel natural and complete as a collection of work.

The album also has solid contributions from vocalists and MC's: J'son Unique, Kofi Black, Izaiah Graves, & Elaine Kristal as well as show stopping verses from Mic Handz, Hason, Doc Ahk, & Mike Fuego. Eli

Being Myself is an insightful look into the documented vulnerabilities, trials, and triumphs of a man who was too close to the edge and managed to find balance there. This album is instant karma and a clinic on how to answer with a counter culture to a industry flooded microwave rap. Elijah Miguel's Being Myselfis aresponse to the fundamental need for more substance in our music.

#TheHonestMusicMovement
 

Elijah MiGuel's "Being Myself" is out in all digital formats including:

iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1072513304?ls=1&app=itunes

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/5eZcYr5SnnwcivtzrXmU7B

Tidal
http://tidal.com/album/55941651

Apple Music
https://itun.es/us/yeu7_

Connect with Elijah Miguel via

Twitter: @ElijahMiguel

Instagram: @ElijahMiguel718

Connect with Steelohim Gallery via

Twitter: @KineticalNRG
Instagram: @Steelohim
Facebook: Facebook.com/steelohim