2Hi and Eli $tones: Live at No Studios

Another Friday night at No Studios has been dedicated to two more promising artists.  A few minutes after my arrival, an anxious  Eli $tones, still fueling off of the momentum of $ticks and $tones, came to greet some folks, myself included, while we waited outside prior to his performance. Nic Stokes was the DJ for the night and the time to get the show started was approaching.The crowd capacity was underwhelming and this was a new venue for him, but $tones dared not to waste any of the time he was given. What can seemingly be a disappointment to most held no weight against the passion that he has for his music. 

E$:  …Well I just wanna start off by saying, I always get super nervous before any show, regardless if there's five people there or a hundred people there, it doesn't matter. I always get super nervous so not seeing people there at all- that already just messes with my anxiety. So that's one thing. But also tonight I had a 30 minute set… Local artists don't often get 30 minute sets. Cause you know, most of these hip hop shows are always showcases and they got plenty of artists on the bill, So we usually get like 10 minute sets. So to be at this show, knowing it's a little bit like- I wouldn't say dead, I would say intimate- knowing I had a 30 minute set, It was a little disappointing, but I mean, I do enjoy, still, that small intimate feeling. Cuz even though people aren't moving around and screaming in your face, screaming the words back, they're still listening. They're still engaged, you know, if I tell them to turn on the phone [light], they still do that. So yeah, That's always beautiful, and you know, these small shows going into big shows, I can also like at them like a rehearsal too. Like these are just reps, you know what I'm saying? So I guess it's a love/hate relationship, considering my anxiety, but nah, bro, I love doing shows in general. This is what I do music for is a show.

From having beginnings in a rap collective, The Cronies, from which 2Hi also came, to finally excelling as his own artist, Eli $tones has certainly made his way around and has a lot to give.The consistent need to climb on top of something and look you in the eye, even deliberately bringing a ladder to elevate and center himself amongst the crowd while dripped in Unfinished Legacy, and the projection of his truth into the mike with the hope of reaching the hearts of those listening is exactly why our artists deserve better when producing performative opportunities for them!

E$: … I'm here to save people from themselves and I’ll be caught dead before they catch me lacking…

CW: … How do you feel that your last album affected people? Have you gotten a lot of personal feedback on what your album may have done for some?

E$: Definitely. This is the one project that I shared with the people who I trust most- my mentors, my friends, my family and they really said like- of course I'm not gonna listen to this- ‘you don't have to drop anything else. You just need to push this album and this could get you to the next step. You just need to keep working.’ But this is, even to me, my favorite body of work. it's where I've been my most vulnerable. I've talked about things that I've never talked about before. I tried not to, you know, sugar coat certain subjects to make a hit. You know what I'm saying? So I've gotten a lot of good feedback, not just from my close friends, but from people all around the world from Morocco, people from Denmark to New Zealand. It's Super cool. 

 2Hi’s set followed soon after. As the room became more lively with peer artists in the audience like Tru West, Nile, and young producer ThatGuyEli ready to engage in the hype, 2Hi, just the same, has been thriving off of the fresh release of his album White Lighter Bad Luck, allowing nothing to stop him from being a rock star.

CW:  I haven't really seen many performances of yours in the last couple of years, so that was a really good reintroduction ‘cause I don't think I've- I've seen you perform, but I've seen you perform more so as a part of a collective.

2Hi: Yea that was a while ago. 

CW: Seeing you as 2Hi by yourself was really good. How do you feel about tonight’s set? 

2Hi: You know,  I always look at it as like, no matter the quantity of people that's there, I'm still gonna rock it out like it's an arena full of muhfuckas. I feel like this was exactly how I envisioned it, you know what I mean? ‘Cause it's manifestation. That's how I always walk into a situation like this, Like ‘alright, we finna rock this shit, cmon. no matter what,’ you know what I mean? So yeah, at the end of the night you gone remember something.

I asked him about the personal outcome of dropping an album during the pandemic and the disciplines that came of it.

2Hi: …It's disciplining me to actually whip myself into shape; being active and current on everything. Lately- it's funny ‘cause like the pandemic also taught me that I need more content. I need as much content as music that I have. So as long as I'm cranking out content and I'm rolling with a team, like literally my team is building right now.

CW: What do you mean by team? Like do you mean team like collective wise or do you mean your management, a stylist- a team like that more production wise?

2Hi: More production wise, yeah, it's funny, like I just asked my boy Lake- I was like, yo, can I add you to my bio under ‘Management?’ He been booking hella shows for me, like Lake is doing his thing. If anybody needs a show, please hit up Lake. He'll set you right… But literally the team is growing with videographers, photographers, DJs, engineers, and producers. I'm trying to get involved with the entire city and bring it back to home base. Everybody that i actually fuck with at the crib... making sure everybody eats..

CW: … Alot of artists- not a lot of artists, but more artists are really realizing how important a team really is.  It's not just about you being passionate anymore, depending on how big you want to go, you know what I mean? It takes other people who have a passion for you, but in a different way. So especially speaking on, you know, being a part of a collective or, you know, being close to a lot of different artists, how does that affect your relationships with people?

2Hi: I would say at least the last three years I've been mainly just working in house with just maybe one or two people and now I'm finally opening up. So like, I guess what I'm trying to say is making friends in this industry is very important ‘cause that support system is like- literally I tell people, the people in my crowd y'all don't know it, but y'all have a cape on. You know what I mean? Y'all came to the rescue for me. Like y'all didn't have to come here. This is literally time that y'all are spending with me. And time is one of the most valuable things known to man, so for y'all to come out, show y'all love and appreciation, that is all I could ask. 

/Naomi-Re’a for CW