A Conversation With Malik Elijah

All photos by Creator K

modrNation: Where are you originally from?

Malik: I’m from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Prince George’s county..

modrNation: How did growing up there influence you to start making music?

Malik: I was always pretty into music growing up, I grew up in the church so just being in the choir and always being a part of something musical definitely influenced me. I was playing drums when I was four, and was in theatrical theater, then I started writing after I quit football when I was like sixteen. 

modrNation: Who have been some of your biggest musical influences?

Malik: Mick Jenkins, Kendrick Lamar, IDK, J. Cole, Kanye West. Definitely all them, I’d probably say Drake too. After I heard The Waters and Overly Dedicated then started exploring into TDE and Black Hippy is when I realized I wanted to make music like that and do it in my own type of way. 

modrNation: Take me through your writing process, do you seek out inspiration yourself or wait for it to hit you naturally?

Malik: It all depends on how I’m feeling day to day. I have different strategies of how I go about writing songs and gaining inspiration when I’m not really feeling it. At this point in my life I’ve kind of taken away from waiting for inspiration to hit me and started to push through those writing blocks. Some days I might not be feeling it but I’ll push through it because the only way to get better is practice. 

modrNation: You just dropped your latest EP at the end of last year, how has that aged for you?

Malik: It’s aged pretty well, I dropped a series of singles and two-packs throughout the year which was interesting because I;m more of a project guy personally. It was definitely a learning experience getting to work with ICECOLDBISHOP and getting more respect from other people in the scene was really cool.

modrNation: That’s always nice to get your flowers, are you working on a bigger project right now?

Malik: Yeah I’m working on this project I’m aiming to release in July. We’ll probably drop the first two singles in June, but until then I’m dropping a couple loose singles. The first one is coming out March 30th called BEAMMEUP that I made with a producer out of Long Beach, Roto.

modrNation: How would you compare all this newer music to the stuff you’d dropped before?

Malik: I would say a lot of the music I dropped before was just me still trying to figure out myself as an artist. Then when I started making some of the more recent records I started to pinpoint which ones I like and which ones people are gravitating towards more.

modrNation: Take me through your creative process when piecing together a project?

Malik: My creative process is pretty constant. I usually record for about a year constantly making new ideas throughout the year and just staying close with my close-knit producers. I try to find the songs that make me feel good and feel effortless, then I try to go with that and make various different versions of it until I have some songs I really like. My manager also really helps me with the creative direction and track selection of the project. He really just helps me see my vision through.

modrNation: What would you say is the intention behind your music?

Malik: The intention behind my music is really just motivating people and bringing overall good vibes. The main message I like to give out is just the overall manifestation of whatever you believe in. Whatever you love, just push towards that, have faith in what you want to do.

modrNation: What are your plans coming into this year as you roll out the project to take your sound to the next level?

Malik: I really feel like I’m finding my aesthetic, previous drops I’ve done have been sporadic and jumbled up. This year I want to lck in and make people focus on certain things I have going on.

modrNation: What would you say is the importance of finding your own identity and individuality as an artist in a time where so many people are making music?

Malik: I think it’s very important, at the end of the day there’s a person every day waking up wanting to rap or sing. You have to separate yourselves at all cost, I was having a conversation with my friend whos the lead singer of a rock band and he told me “There’s so many people making music, what the fuck makes you special?” That really changed my perspective on everything, in my mind I see it as you just need to find a reason for people to give a fuck about you. There’s always another talent, there’s always someone better or at the same level as you, so you have to do something that makes you yourself. When you listen to music you can really hear someone being inauthentic vs being authentic and truly who they are.

modrNation: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Malik: Probably putting out my second or third studio album. Hopefully headlining a tour and have a few other tours done by then.