Posted April 22, 2011 by shamz 31 comments

eLZhi “Detroit State of Mind”

Let’s start the day with some raw Detroit hip-hop. ELmatic, eLZhi‘s take on Nas‘ seminal album Illmatic, will be hitting the internets on May 10th. We got a listen to the bonus track a few weeks ago. Today, we get hoodied up, lace up the timbs and take a walk down 8 Mile while eLZhi kicks street tales about The D with “Detroit State of Mind” (produced by Will Sessions). As I said before, if any emcee is even worthy of re-doing Nas’ classics, it’s eLZhi, and he proves he’s not over-matched with this track right here.

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Comments

Tonyflip

ELZHI IS THE BEST RAPPER OF 2011 ……PERIOD!
- @zubrainz
  
  best rapper alive !!!!!
George

I think he does himself a disservice by trying to cover Illmatic, there is only one Nas and one Illmatic! It is great to show respect to one of the GREATEST in hip hop (Nas) but try walking in your own shoes and bringing your own classic to the game. This was a nice effort though.
- Dave_Mc
  
  YES. Well said, yo…
Pingback: HipHopIsCoolAgain | eLZhi – "Detroit State Of Mind"
mike b

wowsers! this is such a monster.
http://www.derecording.com Ionic8

What a SPLENDID take on “NY STATE OF MIND”! I’m not a BIG FAN of covers and redues so if an artist does it, it better be ON POINT! “NY STATE OF MIND” stands on it’s own but this is an welcome addendum. It would be interesting if other “Top MC’s” did their own “STATE OF MIND” songs for their cities\areas…8
Divine12th

El’s a fool…NICE!

Divine, PEACE!
Ptso

FINALLY
Keith

El IS WACK FOR THIS SHIT. HE SHOULD’VE NEVER DONE THIS. THE PREFACE WAS WAY BETTER
Jakie Haze

Nas is one of the greats. DONT EVER FUCK WITH A CLASSIC
mikey

He took 3 years for this..everybody has fucked with this idea. el is dope but you cant do nas better then Nas
http://www.myspace.com/zubrainzmusic @zubrainz

WHY R PEOPLE ASS HURT THAT ELZHI CHOSE TO DO ILLMATIC?YOU HATERZ ARE FULL OF SHIT LIKE COLON CLEANSING.HE IS MORE THAN WORTHY AND DOING ILLMATIC JUSTICE. I BET NAS IS LOVING THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW CUZ ELZHI IS A BEAST.BIG UP ELZHI.. @ZUBRAINZ
truth

yall just mad Elzhi eclipsed Nas lackluster style…get over it!!
- stefdelev
  
  Damn son, lackluster? I love Elzhi but you trippin right now
http://classicbeatz.bandcamp.com ClassicBeatz

Jazz cats have been doing covers of each other’s songs for 70 years. Each time one covers the others material they add their own flavor. This is no different. DOpeness
- filthymcnasty
  
  well said
- http://Timetheftnation.com Brad
  
  There’s a reason it’s available for free. It’s a tribute to what inspired him. Nothin but love, enjoy the music
luckey

true people have been doing covers for a long time but people have already murder the illmatic remakes. fashawn is 1 of em… el needs to come again
dave

not impressed at all.. Nas has a minnie me
MainOne

WHY R PEOPLE ASS HURT THAT ELZHI CHOSE TO DO ILLMATIC?YOU HATERZ ARE FULL OF SHIT LIKE COLON CLEANSING.HE IS MORE THAN WORTHY AND DOING ILLMATIC JUSTICE. I BET NAS IS LOVING THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW CUZ ELZHI IS A BEAST.BIG UP ELZHI.. @ZUBRAINZ
http://www.praverb.net/ Praverb

I love the track and happen to be a huge Elzhi fan. Why must it be a competition? If an artist is inspired by a project doesn’t that foster creativity?

I look at the project as paying homage to the excellent album by Nas.
luckey

NAS ALL DAY
http://www.okayplayer.com shamz

Nas is easily one of my favorite emcees ever, and Illmatic is indeed an untouchable album. I don’t think eLZhi’s trying to challenge any of that, I think he’s simply paying homage in his own way, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Yes, it has been done before but I don’t feel like anybody has really bodied an Illmatic remake to the point where nobody else should take a stab at it. From a lyrical standpoint I put elzhi in the upper echelon of emcees, so as a hip-hop head, I’m looking forward to hearing the final product, and I’ll hold my judgement until I do.
sstretch

Yo I don’t know why everybody up and arms on this. ELZHI holding Nas down with this joint, its a dedication joint. This album INSPIRED lots of dudes in the game now, so why not show props to NAS with his own version?? Its not like if its an actual album, its a MIXTAPE. Same thing that 9TH WONDER did with GOD’s SON, he did his own beats with NAS’s acapella but did a great job, Come on folks, respect ELZHI, he’s your favorite rappers, favorite rapper. This track is nasty, no PUN intended.

check out the beats at http://www.soundcloud.com/sstretch68323
11!!

stop frontin, this joint is fly. for those who are claiming el is biting nas, cop the preface, europass, and witness my growth. better yet, go check his joint on dilla’s welcome 2 detriot and shut the *** up. elzhi has his on style, just happened to be influence by probaly the greatest poets ever. if anything, elzhi doing this, will only help elevate true lyricism in an era of hip hop where wack rappers are a majority.

peace
POAAU78

Yo that was ILL, I mean he could of did his own ish, that was homage, respect like crazy.. not only that, what other way to “really” get ur name out there? i always thougt EL had flow anyhow..
RANCE P

Wow…some of you take this ish way too serious. Its a tribute…nothing more than that. An emcee’s emcee such as El knows you can’t touch Nas. Its not about that. If you have an piece of emcee in you, you’ve written or freestyled over this beat. Stop hatin and let a man have some fun. Besides…ish was tight
buggin_out

love Elzhi, love Nas, love hip-hop, IT’S ALL LOVE
KD06

A lot of controversy around this. As a purist I prefer new music over anything else. The occasional cover song like Mos Def is cool but a whole album is not what I’m checking for. Fashawn already did this. You’ll always stumble trying to recreate a classic…. Create your own classic….
Complete3

dope idea from a dope emcee. Opinions are opinions, some may like and some may dislike. I think it’s dope and a good tribute. The original will always be there and will remain a classic. I think this was dope of Elzhi and a good idea to bring back to the forefront such an incredible hip-hop classic and also do it with his own twist. I’m diggin it. We can use this. Big up Elzhi! “Opinions are like voices we all have a different kind” once said a guy named Q-Tip