Elijah Blake has penned records for everyone from Britney Spears to Mary J. Blige, but on September 30 he will step into the spotlight with his own EP Drift. The majority of the eight tracks were produced by No I.D., with contributions from J. Cole, Pop & Oak, and Illangelo.
Rap-Up TV recently caught up with the multi-platinum singer-songwriter, who is managed by Roc Nation, to discuss the project.
“You can expect No I.D. at his finest. He’s pushing it,” said Blake, who is signed to No I.D.’s ARTium imprint on Def Jam. “I think everybody’s heard him do stuff for Common and Kanye, like the edgy hip-hop stuff, but this time they’ll really get a glimpse of No I.D. doing some cool, progressive R&B, soulful production.”
Cole produced and is featured on “Vendetta,” which leaked last year. “[Cole] felt like the song didn’t get the proper treatment, so this is our way of putting it back out there into the universe and letting people hear it in the best way possible,” said Blake.
When he’s not working on his own music, he’s been in the studio with Usher, Keyshia Cole, and Rihanna.
“She’s always on some new stuff. She never even stopped recording,” he said of the “Diamonds” singer. “I think right after the last album dropped, she was in the studio two weeks later. They ain’t even know what album they was gonna put it on, but that’s why she’s probably one of the best of our generation.”
Check out the Drift cover art and tracklisting below.
Drift Tracklisting
1. “Wicked” [prod. by No I.D.]
2. “Come Away” [prod. by Pop & Oak]
3. “Vendetta” feat. J. Cole [prod. by J. Cole]
4. “Strange Fruit” [prod. by Illangelo]
5. “Quicksand” [prod. by No I.D. and Tiago]
6. “SIX” [prod. by No I.D.]
7. “Fallen (Interlude)” [prod. by Trakmatic]
8. “Imagination” [prod. by No I.D.]