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Eli Nathan Nachowitz (born February 28, 1978), better known as Eligh, is an American
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and producer from Los Angeles. He is a member of the underground hip hop group
Living Legends Living Legend(s) may refer to: Film and television * "The Living Legend", a 1978 episode of ''Battlestar Galactica'' * "Living Legend" (''CSI''), a 2006 episode of ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' * ''Living Legend'' (audio drama), an audio d ...
.


Biography

Eligh's inspiration for making hip hop music came in the mid 1980s from the film ''
Beat Street ''Beat Street'' is a 1984 American drama dance film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Set in the South Bronx, the film follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to var ...
'' and
LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
's "
I'm Bad "I'm Bad" (sometimes written as I'm BAD) is the first single from LL Cool J's second album, ''Bigger and Deffer''. It was released in 1987 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by the production group, The L.A. Posse and LL Cool J, with Russel ...
." In high school, he co-founded the hip hop duo Boogalu Badboys with
Scarub Armon Collins, better known by his stage name Scarub, is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the collective Living Legends. He has also been a member of Log Cabin, 3 Melancholy Gypsys, and Afro ...
. When they crossed paths with another rapper
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, ...
, the three formed 3 Melancholy Gypsys (3MG). Eligh then moved from Los Angeles up north to the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
, where he met The Grouch, which ultimately led to 3MG's incorporation into
Living Legends Living Legend(s) may refer to: Film and television * "The Living Legend", a 1978 episode of ''Battlestar Galactica'' * "Living Legend" (''CSI''), a 2006 episode of ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' * ''Living Legend'' (audio drama), an audio d ...
. In the mid and late 1990s, while simultaneously continuing to produce with
Living Legends Living Legend(s) may refer to: Film and television * "The Living Legend", a 1978 episode of ''Battlestar Galactica'' * "Living Legend" (''CSI''), a 2006 episode of ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' * ''Living Legend'' (audio drama), an audio d ...
, Eligh released several self-pressed solo albums, such as ''As They Pass'' and ''
Gas Dream ''Gas Dream'' is a studio album by American hip hop artist Eligh, a member of the indie hip hop collective Living Legends. It was released in 2000. Critical reception Matt Conaway of AllMusic gave the album a rating of three stars out of five. ...
''. In the early 2000s, he released darker and more cryptic albums such as ''Poltergeist'' and ''Enigma''. In 2005, Eligh took a break from music to confront his growing drug and alcohol addiction problems. After heroin usage nearly took his life, Eligh attempted to get clean on his own, but eventually realized that he needed to seek out help. On October 12, 2005, Eligh checked himself into a treatment center, and has been free from all drugs and alcohol ever since. The Grammy foundation
MusiCares MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, personal, or medical crisis, ...
, helped Eligh get a bed at an addiction treatment center and assisted with the related costs. Eligh also credits
Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...
and
Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous (NA), founded in 1953, describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem." Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied subst ...
with helping him remain clean. Much of the music that Eligh has released post-2005 has been influenced by his recovery and sobriety, and he has frequently tried to use his experiences to positively influence others. His album ''Grey Crow'' was released in 2010. It is his seventh solo album, and has been Eligh's best-selling album as an independent artist. Many of the songs on ''Grey Crow'' reflect on his struggles and new perspective on life, and the album has spawned many likes by underground hip hop fans, who praise Eligh's unique flow and lyricism. Eligh also released ''On Sacred Ground'', a collaborative album with his mother, Jo Wilkinson, in 2009. In 2011, Eligh collaborated with producer
Amp Live Amp Live is an American alternative hip hop producer and DJ from California. He was one half of the duo Zion I, but left the group in 2015 amicably. He has remixed works by Radiohead, Tokyo Police Club and Jamie Lidell. Life and career Born a ...
of
Zion I Zion I was an American hip hop project founded by MC and producer Baba Zumbi (real name Stephen Gaines) in Oakland, California. K-Genius and Amp Live were also project members. Career Originally formed as a group, Zion I released the debut s ...
to create the album ''
Therapy at 3 ''Therapy at 3'' is the first collaborative studio album by Eligh and Amp Live. It was released by Legendary Music and Live Up in 2011. It peaked at number 33 on the ''Billboard'' Heatseekers Albums Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" m ...
''. Combining his dogged work ethic with Living Legends'
DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
approach, Eligh has released over a dozen albums, and contributed on many more. Sometimes under the alias Gandalf, he has provided beats for rappers outside Living Legends crew, including
Company Flow Company Flow was an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of Bigg Jus, El-P and Mr. Len. The group was at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/ producer El-P and DJ/producer ...
,
Pigeon John John Kenneth Dust (born John Kenneth Dunkin: November 30, 1972), better known by the stage name Pigeon John, is an American rapper based in Los Angeles, California. He is a former member of L.A. Symphony. Early life Pigeon John claims that his ...
,
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and
Freestyle Fellowship Freestyle Fellowship is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The group was a prominent part of the Good Life Cafe collective, and are part of the Project Blowed co ...
. Eligh has been involved in a number of Living Legends offshoots as well, including Log Cabin, The Righteous Brothers, and The Grouch & Eligh.


Discography


Solo

* ''As They Pass'' (1996) * ''Four Tracks: LA and Back'' (1997) * ''A Story of 2 Worlds'' (1997) * ''Sidewaydaze'' (1998) * "Coincidence" (1999) * "Nightlife" (1999) * "Chronik" (1999) * ''
Gas Dream ''Gas Dream'' is a studio album by American hip hop artist Eligh, a member of the indie hip hop collective Living Legends. It was released in 2000. Critical reception Matt Conaway of AllMusic gave the album a rating of three stars out of five. ...
'' (2000) * ''Gandalf's Beat Machine'' (2000) * ''Gandalf's Beat Machine Level 2'' (2002) * ''Poltergeist'' (2003) * ''Enigma'' (2005) * ''Gandalf's Beat Machine Level 3'' (2009) * "On Sacred Ground" (2009) * ''Grey Crow'' (2010) * ''Therapy At 3'' (2011) * ''Nomads'' (2014) (disc 3 of ''The Tortoise and the Crow'') * ''80 HRTZ'' (2015) * ''Last House on the Block'' (2018)


The Grouch & Eligh

* ''G&E Music Vol. 1 & 2'' (2000) * ''No More Greener Grasses'' (2003) * ''
Say G&E! ''Say G&E!'' is a studio album by American hip hop duo The Grouch & Eligh. It was released on Legendary Music in 2009. It peaked at number 186 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, as well as number 81 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 5 on ...
'' (2009) * ''333'' (2014) (disc 1 of ''The Tortoise and the Crow'') * ''The WinterFire EP'' (2014) (with
CunninLynguists CunninLynguists is an American hip hop group from Lexington, Kentucky. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. Early beginnings In 1999, Deacon the Villain and Kno met at Club Kaya in Atlanta, Georgia at an even ...
)
* ''What Would Love Do'' (2021)


3 Melancholy Gypsys

* ''The Penguins'' (1998) * ''Gypsy's Luck'' (1998) * ''Live in Tokyo'' (2000) * ''
Grand Caravan to the Rim of the World ''Grand Caravan to the Rim of the World'' is the second studio album by American hip hop group 3 Melancholy Gypsys. It was released on Legendary Music in 2005. Track listing Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes. * Eligh – vocals, pro ...
'' (2005)


Living Legends

* ''UHB I'' (1996) * ''UHB II'' (1996) * ''UHB III: Against All Odds'' (1997) * ''UHB IV: Stop & Retaliate'' (1999) * ''Foxhole EP'' (1999) * ''The Underworld'' (2000) * ''Angelz Wit Dirty Faces'' (2000) * ''
Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for ''Rolling Stone ...
'' (2001) * ''UHB V: Legacy 2099'' (2002) * ''Crappy Old Shit'' (2003) * ''The Four Track Avengers'' (2004) * ''
Creative Differences ''Creative Differences'' is a studio album by American hip hop group Living Legends. It was released in 2004. The album cover is a reference to ''The Brady Bunch''. It peaked at number 28 on the '' Billboard'' Independent Albums chart. Critica ...
'' (2004) * ''
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
'' (2005) * ''Legendary Music Volume 1'' (2006) * ''The Gathering'' (2008) * ''Legendary Music Volume 2'' (2008)


Collaborations

* ''LA Experimental'' (1995) as Log Cabin * ''Project'' (1999) as The Righteous Brothers * ''On Sacred Ground'' (2009) with Jo Wilkinson * ''The Brother's Grime'' (2007) with Magi * ''Beat Battle'' (2008) with DJ Fresh * ''
Therapy at 3 ''Therapy at 3'' is the first collaborative studio album by Eligh and Amp Live. It was released by Legendary Music and Live Up in 2011. It peaked at number 33 on the ''Billboard'' Heatseekers Albums Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" m ...
'' (2011) with
AmpLive Amp Live is an American alternative hip hop producer and DJ from California. He was one half of the duo Zion I, but left the group in 2015 amicably. He has remixed works by Radiohead, Tokyo Police Club and Jamie Lidell. Life and career Born a ...
* ''So Bright'' (2013) with Pretty Lights * ''Grand Tapestry'' (2016) as Grand Tapestry *Evidence *
El-P Jaime Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a ...


Productions

*
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and Tha Trademarc – "Don't Fuck With Us" from ''
You Can't See Me ''You Can't See Me'' is the debut studio album by WWE's wrestler John Cena and his cousin, Tha Trademarc. It was released on May 10, 2005, by WWE Music Group and Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances from Esoteric and Bumpy Knuck ...
'' (2005) *
Zion I Zion I was an American hip hop project founded by MC and producer Baba Zumbi (real name Stephen Gaines) in Oakland, California. K-Genius and Amp Live were also project members. Career Originally formed as a group, Zion I released the debut s ...
& The Grouch – "Lift Me Up" from ''
Heroes in the City of Dope ''Heroes in the City of Dope'' is the first collaborative studio album by Zion I and The Grouch. It was released on Om Records on October 10, 2006. It peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 34 on the I ...
'' (2006) *
Isaiah Toothtaker Isaiah Toothtaker (born 1981) is an American rapper, designer, and tattoo artist. He is a co-founder of the indie hip hop collective Machina Muerte. Biography Toothtaker is of Mexican and Native American heritage, who grew up in Tucson, Ari ...
– "Fuck 2009" from ''Yiggy'' (2010) *
Freestyle Fellowship Freestyle Fellowship is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The group was a prominent part of the Good Life Cafe collective, and are part of the Project Blowed co ...
– "We Are" from '' The Promise'' (2011) * DJ Free Leonard – "Medicine Man" from "Electrify The Masses EP" (2017) * DJ Free Leonard & Umar Bin Hassan of
The Last Poets The Last Poets are several groups of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement's black nationalism. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who bel ...
– "To Become Human" from " 12" Single" (2020)


Guest appearances

*
Scarub Armon Collins, better known by his stage name Scarub, is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the collective Living Legends. He has also been a member of Log Cabin, 3 Melancholy Gypsys, and Afro ...
and Very – "Public Relations" from ''Afro Classics?'' (2002) *
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, ...
– "Done Deal" from '' The End of the Beginning'' (2003) *
Pigeon John John Kenneth Dust (born John Kenneth Dunkin: November 30, 1972), better known by the stage name Pigeon John, is an American rapper based in Los Angeles, California. He is a former member of L.A. Symphony. Early life Pigeon John claims that his ...
– "Sleeping Giants" from ''
Sings the Blues ''Sings the Blues'' is a solo album by American rapper Pigeon John John Kenneth Dust (born John Kenneth Dunkin: November 30, 1972), better known by the stage name Pigeon John, is an American rapper based in Los Angeles, California. He is a for ...
'' (2005) * The Gigantics – "The Explanation" from ''Die Already'' (2008) * Mystik Journeymen – "Valley of the Dolls" from ''Return 2 the Love'' (2010) *
Onry Ozzborn Michael Sean Martinez (born March 25, 1979), better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is an American rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and ...
– "No Time To Waste" from '' Duo'' (2016)


References


Thrasher Magazine Interview

Platform8470 Interview, March 2009


External links

*
Living Legends
{{Authority control 1978 births Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles) alumni American hip hop record producers American male rappers Living people Rappers from Los Angeles Underground rappers Jewish rappers 21st-century American rappers Record producers from California 21st-century American male musicians