Mix Tape: Elzhi - Elmatic

When most hip hoppers of a 'mature' age are asked to name their top hip hop albums of all time, a good fair few will inevitably throw Nas' Illmatic into the mix.

They - who am I kidding... I mean we - have good reason, of course.

Boasting a bevy of banging beats from the cream of the mid-90's production crop (DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor) and some of the most quotable hip hop lyrics of all time, Illmatic is a pretty damn intimidating piece of work.

But Elzhi obviously isn't scared of a challenge. The Detroit MC - who was down with Slum Village in a former life, but certainly doesn't seem to be now - has offered up his own take on Nasir's seminal debut.

Elzhi's effort, entitled Elmatic, pays homage to Illmatic through both lyrical references and beats (laid down by a rather impressive live band, Will Sessions.)

It's certainly not an easy act to follow; others have done it with mixed results. But El gives it a good crack, creating an album that both honours and reinvents Illmatic in the same breath.

You can get an idea of what to expect by checking out album cut 'Half Time' below:



If you like what you hear, you can download Elmatic by Elzhi here.