The Preface
Coming up in Detroit, Elzhi was a regular at the legendary Hip Hop Shop sessions and started recording with The Breakfast Club and DJ Houseshoes. In 1998 he recorded the EP *Out of Focus*, though it wasn\'t released commercially and was rampantly bootlegged for years. Known for his densely layered lyrical style, Elzhi began working with the 9-2-5 Colony (alongside Nick Speed and Magestik Legend) and professionally debuted on Jay Dee/Dilla\'s album *Welcome to Detroit*. That led to some studio time with Slum Village, who soon brought him in as an official member; he stayed for the group\'s final five albums. *The Preface* was his first formally released solo effort, and it\'s a doozy. Released in 2008, it was produced almost entirely by Black Milk, with features from other hometown VIPs Guilty Simpson and Royce Da 5\'9\". This is Detroit hip-hop at its finest, with an avalanche of quotable verses, chopped samples, and pummeling beats. There\'s really not a soft spot here, but \"Motown 25,\" \"Transitional Joint,\" and \"The Science\" are especially dope.
Rhyming over beats by producer Black Milk, this MC-- known for his work with the Detroit-based Slum Village-- covers ground as an acrobatic-flowing word-twister, a high-concept storyteller, and a tell-it-like-it-is everyman.