Happy Born Day to eLZhi, one of the greatest lyricists PERIOD! The bio on his website shares, "Before the world ever heard the name Elzhi, the young artist was sitting in the back of classrooms thinking of rhymes and spitting verses, while his friend Fes banged out beats on lunchroom tables and battled rival emcees on the blacktop after school. He sharpened every blade in his arsenal, developing his style to measure up against the competition in Maurice Maloneis Hip Hop Shop, the legendary proving ground for Detroit Artists that has produced some of the greatest emcees in the world. Elzhi spent years paying dues, writing songs, entering battles, and recording demos until he made his international debut on Come and Get It, a standout track from J Dilla’s album, Welcome 2 Detroit. The critically acclaimed song drew massive attention to the mysterious artist, and made his EP, Out of Focus, highly sought after. Following that, he released the critically acclaimed Elmatic as a tribute to Nas as well as to Elzhi’s hometown of Detroit." To celebrate his birthday today, I put together a quick playlist of tracks - mostly solo records with a few features mixed in. It is by no means a reflection of his full discography - in fact, it barely scratches the surface, but these do represent some of my favorite Elzhi cuts nonetheless. From his early "Out of Focus" EP to today, eLZhi remains one of our culture's most gifted lyricists, poets and MCs. Be sure to reach out HERE and wish him a Happy Born Day! The art above is by Aleks Skrok, you can order a poster HERE.