Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle E.D.
Hi Elle E.D., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out playing a behind the scenes role to a lot of major artists including Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Diddy, Janet Jackson, Magic!, Queen Latifah and many more. I wore so many hats from dancer to songwriter to background vocalist, I’ve done almost every kind of job there is and I’ve done it on a professional level. While I loved every moment of touring and working with these incredible artists, it was difficult to just exist in the shadows when I really longed for the spotlight because truthfully, I’ve always been an artist first and all the other jobs were just paying the bills. But I knew I was there for a purpose and that was to learn the inner workings of what it takes to be where I desire to be, and I really truly have spent years in basically what I look at as a boot camp, perfecting my craft. I’ve learned from the best choreographers, creative directors, producers, you name it, and it as has all made me who I am today.
During the COVID-19 quarantine, I really had the time to sit with myself and God and truly decide how I wanted to package all of this and present myself to the world. Who do I want to be and what purpose I desire to serve. For me it’s not enough to just get numbers, I want my numbers to mean something. Elle E.D. was born out of a process of introspect and self-discovery. I’ve figured out how to share the very best of me with my audience. I am bringing balance back to the art of hip-hop especially for women. There are conversations that need to be had and I am here to not only have them but to make sure we enjoy ourselves while doing so. I’m here to claim my seat at the table amongst icons who were/are unafraid to be real about who we are, where we are, and where we need to be going. I am the light.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. I have been studying my craft since I was 3 years old. I have been training my whole life. Nothing in life is free, and if you think it is, you just haven’t received the bill yet. Being an independent artist is a challenge in itself. Every time I put myself out there for the world to consume it costs me money. I have the vision of a major label artist and the budget of whatever comes in on a monthly basis. I pour my heart and soul into every piece of content I create and there’s no major distributing platform or advance to float me from one idea or project to the next. I want to say yes to every opportunity but that’s challenging. Some days it feels like being a small business trying to fulfill the workload of an Amazon warehouse. But I know I have it in me to do it. My team is incredible and they believe in me and we do what we have to do to get the content out there. We don’t cut corners, we do what the music asks of us, we make it happen. In hindsight, it’s actually pretty miraculous. I’ve learned to congratulate myself on the small victories because I know they all continue to build on top of each other and the outcome is success. I try to stay consistent and focused on my lane. It’s not easy, but we get it done.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I consider myself a visual artist in addition to being a recording artist. I believe that seeing is believing. So I dedicate the same amount of attention to detail in my visual content as I do in my songs. My songs are meant to empower people, though they each do that in different ways. I make sure that I come with clever lyrics and strong bars with punchlines, as well as interesting rhythms and rhyme patterns. At the same time as devoting energy to that, it is equally as important that the music is fun and inspires movement and creates a feeling that listeners can immediately relate to. I’m currently working on a new project with some amazing producers, 5x Grammy award winner Devine Evans, Keith Harris who made hits for the Black Eyed Peas, and Nabeyin whose work was featured on Kanye West’s Donda, to name a few.
I take the same care with my visuals. Almost every song gets a music video. I am blessed to work with my incredible visionary of a friend director, Daniel Sabouné from Australia. I am heavily involved in the entire process from treatment to completion. I think that sets me apart from a lot of other artists. I move like I’m already on, I’m not going to wait for someone else to put me on. The visuals are very cinematic and they each tell a story or capture a feeling. I’m always going to come with something different than the next person, I’m pushing myself to do things that other people aren’t thinking of. I highly value entertainment. I’m never going to just throw something together and say “here you go”. My fans deserve more than that and those who aren’t fans yet need to see why they should be a fan. I’m known for my music videos and the quality of them, from the concept to the fashion, to the execution of the performance. I care a lot. Everything is intentional. I can’t expect to manifest headlining at Coachella or the Super Bowl one day and half-do the work in the beginning. It just won’t work.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think there is risk involved any time you create a piece of art and release it for others to consume. Every idea is a risk. Because art is subjective. I spend my life taking these risks and throwing what I think is incredible up against the wall and hoping it sticks. My entire career is a risk. But preparation and faith outweigh the risks.
Pricing:
- I currently have the Elle E.D. Mixtape Collage 12″ Vinyl record available for pre-sale. It’s an exclusive drop, only 100 copies will be sold. They each come in a randomized colorway and if you get one of the 3 gold records you win a prize. Those are available at www.elleed.com for $45
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elleed.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elle_e.d/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/elle_e_d
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elle_e.d
Image Credits
KBM Photography
