E.L – Portay Dey Be Featuring Cabum & Edem (Official Music Video)
by Phil Chard
E.L., Cabum and Edem take us back to the late 90s on the BAR’s latest video for Portay Dey Be. The Pascal Aka is an ode to the high budget, pastel colour themed videos of Hype Williams and Director X that dominated the turn on the century.
On the song E.L pays homage to The Notorious B.I.G borrowing the flow made famous by the Brooklyn MC on Victory. Cabum opts to adopt an early Busta Rhymes flow circa his E.L.E album. Edem adopts a flow very similar to that of Method Man.
I have always felt that E.L makes a better rapper than the pop act he usually morphs into for his albums. His recent releases that are leading up to the release of BAR III have been nothing short of stellar.
You Can Now Stream E.L’s ELOM ALbum For Free
by Phil Chard
While E.L preps for the release of BAR III and continues to slay his competition with his new releases, the BBNZ rapper has just uploaded his last album ELOM for free streaming on Soundcloud. If you have not sampled the album then you have no excuses. I personally liked the ELOM but our writer Sabz had a slightly different opinion. Read his review below.
E.L – Body Bags
by Phil Chard
E.L seems hell bent on hammering home the point that his Best African Rapper series is not just some marketing gimmick but a certified fact. With tracks like Kaa Bu Ame. Love God and Talk Don't Bother Me all dropping within the last few weeks has already made a very strong case for his argument. Not content with that E>L just dropped his new release Body Bags and once again it is a lyrical onslaught.
I sat down with E.L last week to talk about his new releases and his plans for BAR III, you can listen to the interview below.
The AHHB Podcast Featuring E.L, Youngsta, DJ Obi, And Poe
by Phil Chard
The AHHB podcast is back once again with what is undoubtedly our best episode to date, no really I mean it this time.
We have interviews with the world record holding DJ Obi to discuss his gruelling 10 day marathon set, we speak to Youngsta who is currently on tour in Europe having interesting encounters with groupies, we also speak to E.L about his two new singles and his BAR III release and finally we also speak to Poe about his new single I Want You.
In between all these incredible interviews we also have music from Kagwe Mungai and DJ Switch’s massive Now Or Never Remix that features Ginger Trill, Proveb, Proddy Ugly, Zakwe, Blaklez, BigStar Johnson, Pro, Reason, Siya Shezi, Shane Eagle, Kid Tini and Youngsta.
Follow us on Twitter @africanhhb @philchard
E.L – Love God (Official Music Video)
by Phil Chard
E.L drops the video for his latest single off BAR III titled Love God. I just interviewed the Elien President (and he failed to mention this surprise release….) and he did confirm that this song is the first official single from the project, he is still undecided if BAR III will be a full album or mixtape. He also hinted at a massive collaboration with a legendary artist. You can get the full interview tomorrow, but for now enjoy the video.
@elrepgh
E.L’s 2 New Singles May Be Ushering in BAR Season
by Phil Chard
I don't I design, it's just a good habit
Best rapper every year, they know I should have it
If Kings are made I guess a fella should practice
Shook rappers act wild they just look savage
Best rapper every year, they know I should have it
Started from lines to verses to book chapters - Love God
Despite the fact that he is an artist that can play several roles (rappers, singer, producer) I feel E.L strongest facet by along margin is when he raps and does not focus on making a “radio” hit. With the release of BAR III on the horizon it seems the 5 time VGMA winner, E.L is hell bent on silencing his critics.
Earlier in the week E.L dropped Talk Don’t Bother Me (which we featured on our latest mixtape), the song is a well orchestrated track where E.L plays the dual role of himself and his mother as he has a conversation with her about the negative forces that are intent negating his success.
However it is on his latest release Love God where E.L drops a myriad of jaw dropping and impressively complex set of lines
His many talents and award wins aside, I felt that E.L’s project Hip Hop and BAR II were much more impressive offerings than his much delayed follow up album ELOM. If the rest of BAR III is on the level of his latest releases we might all be entering BAR Season.
@elrepgh
E.L – Kaa Bu Ame (Official Video)
by Phil Chard
5 time 2016 Ghana Music Awards winner E.L just dropped the video to Kaa Bu Ame. The song’s title is roughly translated to " Don't Mind Them" and as he proclaims on the song "next time you say my name make sure you put some respect on it " . The song is a follow up to his sophomore album ELOM as we all await the release his BAR III.
@elrepgh
Bizzy Salifu – Take U Feat. E.L & Bils Rayoe
by Phil Chard
@bizzysalifu @ELrepGH @BilsRayoe
Belgium based Ghanaian artist, Bizzy Salifu just dropped the Hip Hop – Electro fusion track Take U featuring E.L and Bils Rayoe.
Bizzy switches in between a delivery in English and French while E.L lends his auto tuned vocals to the chorus.
Album Review: EL – E.L.O.M (Everybody Loves Original Music)
I’m a big EL fan. A new one (been hooked since 2014’s The B.A.R mixtape), but nevertheless a fan. I bought his latest album E.L.O.M (Everybody Loves Original Music), released towards the end of 2015, without even previewing it, his The B.A.R and The B.A.R II mixtapes were enough to convince me what a solid emcee he was.
“Kwame Nkrumah”, the opening track of E.L.O.M, convinced me the album was taking off where his mixtapes left. The song, which is not a song about the ex-Ghanaian president, sees El spit some heartfelt rhymes about his country and himself. It sets the tone, giving you a reminder of who the man is, where he comes from and where he’s going. He raps:
“A young black proud African nigga/ forget your collabo, man, I’m tryna be rapping with Jigga/ Please. I never said that I’m better than another man/ I tell’em I’m the best artistic product from The Motherland.”
At this moment I’m all smiles – I’m convinced E.L.O.M will be packed with bars and mid-tempo minimalistic production just like his last two tapes.
But El has a different plan. The second track, the lovey dovey pop-inspired “So Amazing”, sees El singing in autotune more than he raps. I dismiss it as one of those “radio songs” made by El the businessman, it’s also not a bad track anyway. But then the third track – “Watch The Way You Dey Waka” takes the same path. The fourth one, too.
At this moment I’m convinced this album is not made for me. It’s replete with flirtations with pop through excessive autotune singing and multi-layered high tempo beats. I’m asking myself, “Where are the raps?” “Don’t Let Me Burn” takes the same route but wait, it actually bangs! There’s no rapping on it, but it’s more dancehall than pop. I’m impressed by the simplicity in the lyrics. It’s simple yet moving. Like really, who makes a song about lying and it still sounds this dope? That bass guitar sound and that clean sound like something off a Bob Marley song and so is the poetic content. “My mama told me one lies is two lies and three lies is more lies/ If you lie, then you die then it’s bye-bye, oh boy, bye-bye,” he sings on the hook. My iTunes has made this song a favourite because after every listen, I press repeat. More than once.
I like the catchy “Mi Na Bo Po”, it makes me happy, even though I don’t understand much of the lyrics. The rest of the album, is just hit-and-miss for me. “Bolemor”, with another of my heroes Nigerian dancehall singer Patoranking, is another track I like, even though there’s little-to-no rapping. Even the song with Sarkodie and Dex Kwasi just doesn’t hit the spot – at least for a rap fan who expects bars back to back.
In short, E.L.O.M disappointed me a great deal. I want to believe that I don’t understand it – that it wasn’t made for me, than I want to believe it’s a bad album. Try it, you might get it. Sadly, after multiple listens, I just don’t.