If you’re not already familiar with this face, get used to it.
Elijah Blake is an R&B singer and songwriter. He has written songs for Rick Ross, Rihanna, and he co-wrote Usher’s “Climax”. He also worked with Trey Songz on his Ready album. Atlantic Records recognized his talents at the tender age of 16 years old. Now, Elijah is transitioning from the man behind the scenes, to the man of the show. In 2012 Elijah released his debut mixtape Bijoux 22, two years later he released another EP, Drift.
He spoke to The Source and told us about the doors songwriting has opened for him, his relationship with his dad and Trey Songz, and about his passion for music. Check it out below:
Was songwriting originally something you wanted to do or did you always want to be an artist?
Artistry was the only thing that I saw and the only thing I felt was my calling. I only wrote songs in the beginning because I didn’t have anybody to write songs for me being a new artist. My dad always taught me to empower yourself so instead of putting all your energy to go in front of A&R scouts, work hard enough so that they come to you. Even with songwriting, that played a part in that because instead of waiting for people, or other songwriters to give you their best songs, you just groom yourself as a songwriter to give yourself the best songs. I love how singer/songwriters get to kind of tell their own story like Lauryn Hill, Lionel Richie, Ne-Yo, The Dream. It wasn’t until one day when I didn’t have anybody to write my songs and I was working in the same facilities as Trey Songz recorded his project in and he came into my room one day and was like, ‘you have a gift for songwriting’- Not my room, but the little section of the house that I was recording my own music in-’that’s the gift right there.’ I just looked at him like he was crazy because it was like you’re Trey Songz and you have everybody in the whole world giving songs to you, I just want to sing, so if I had all the songwriters you have writing your songs I wouldn’t be here trying to write these records, but it played a good part in who I am today and I get to sing and write and every Elijah Blake song you hear is something I went through personally or that I’ve helped somebody through. It’s who I am now, but no I did not ever want to be a songwriter.
Are you and Trey still cool?
Yeah, he’s like my brother. He’s like if you ever need some advice- even if we don’t see each other as often when he hears my song on the radio or hears a song I’ve written for somebody else he says ‘I can always tell it’s an Elijah Blake record.’ Sometimes he’ll hear a record that somebody will send him to record and he’ll be like ‘oh hey bitin your style little bro.’
You mentioned something about your dad just now and I read somewhere that you compared his “training” to that of Michael Jackson’s dad and Matthew Knowles. Did his intense musical training have an effect on the relationship between you and him?
It did. At times I didn’t like him so much, when I was growing up I would get the feeling that nothing was ever good enough, but he was also a really good father in the sense that I knew it was all about love, but it was still so strict. When you’re so young and somebody’s being that hard on you, you don’t really necessarily see the good, but he was so strict to point that when I finally got my chance, everybody was like you do this in your sleep and I was like yeah because my dad would wake me up out of my sleep and make me do it.
When did you discover your passion for music?
I’ve always wanted to do music, even when I really wasn’t comfortable sharing my gift for people like when I was 6 or 7 years old I’d be nervous to sing around people and I’d only sing in church, but I always knew. When the teacher would go around the school and here’s something I’ve never really shared, but the principal came to my class one day and was like you need to have goals and what do you want to be when you grow up? They went around the class and everybody was like a fireman, police officer, teacher, nurse and I was like I wanna be a singer and the look on my principal’s face was in shock and she was horrified. She was like you gotta have realistic goals. I remember even at 6,7 years old I wanna be a singer. I knew at an early age. I remember calling L.A. Reid’s office on google and yahoo and even sometimes on the back of albums where you could where the album was printed at so you could see Def Jams or Jive etc. and I would call in and disguise my voice and be like yo I got the next big thing and be like hold on one second and I’d start singing “Why should I feel.” I came to work closely with people like L.A. Reid, I would sometimes sit in the room and think if only they knew that I was that little kid blowing up your voice mail.
Did you ever tell them?
Nah, I never told them, but soon enough. I think he will appreciate it.
What is one of your favorite songs that you have written for someone else?
I hate talking about this song but I’m also really excited about it, not just because of who’s on it but because of its lyrical content. It’s a song called “skyscrapers.” I remember the place I was in in my life and for me to grow up studying somebody like Bono and somebody like Chris Martin from Coldplay to Swizz Beatz who’s a legend. I was in the studio when I was like 16 and we were just knocking out records, it was me Jerry Wonder and afterwards everybody went to the clubs and I wasn’t old enough to go to the clubs so it was just me left in the studio. I’d be left in the studio with this engineer and I was like I got this idea and wanted Bono on it and Swizz wasn’t even there when I did that. I did it and left it at the studio and just left it to die and left it to fate and when I swizz a couple years later, I was working on Usher and he came by the studio and he was working with me and Usher that day and he walks in and was like I remember and I was like nah man you got me confused and he was like nah I remember you, you did the record. I’m saving for a special moment its me Bono and Kanye, and he played it for me and Bono sung it and didn’t change a single line so that for me was my affirmation as a lyricist that I’m worthy. All the other placements they were amazing, but that right there was the affirmation for me like yo, you’re worthy to be in the ring.
Elijah’s career is very promising. He has the young, fresh, R&B vibe the game has been missing for a while. His debut album, Shadows and Diamonds, is scheduled to release on June 23rd and it will include his hit single “I Just Wanna”. Dej Loaf hopped on the remix, which you available for you to listen to at the top of the post.
You can find Ebbony on Twitter, @miss2bees
