Eljai Releases New Single Frenemy On Asani Ali Music Label
Belize favorite son Eljai is set to burst on the scene once again with a new single, “Frenemy” out today with a tour scheduled for July.
This is of course excellent news for lovers of music that refuses to sit happily in one genre or another when it could leap from soothing melodies to electronica to epic rock whenever it damn well pleases.
This is a difficult trick to pull off but one that Eljai has made his own. It doesn’t hurt that he is also one of the best voices currently treading the boards.
If you think this sounds a bit hyperbolic, one listen to Frenemy should bring you round. The track starts off with Eljai channeling his inner Eljai Royal Voice over a lush string section and some echoing percussion before the song suddenly shifts into an electro-pop-reggae torrent and then back again.
Is Pop Reggae The New Trend In Reggae Music?
The musical accompaniment on “Frenemy” builds and subtly morphs before it shifts again into a smooth melodic Pop-Reggae Sound of rhythmic bass and pounding drums. “Frenemy” is easy listening and finger popping.
Last time I spoke to Eljai, he described a previous release, Wise Up, as an “unapologetic revenge song.” Frenemy might again fit that description.
Eljai says: “‘Frenemy’ is for all the fake friendships out there. Those friendships bound together through getting fucked up, loosing yourselves, your keys, your phone, blacking out and ending up a shell of your former self in a club at 4am with no way to get home. Your frenemy you think is your ride or die, you both should and could be each other’s saviors, but instead behind your back, they talk bad about you.”
The Early Years
In the early 1990’s Eljai teamed up with Carl and Delly McGregor to form the R & B Group Belize. The group was signed to Prince’s Paisley Park Record Label where they recorded their first album. Belize was later signed to Warner Brothers where the wrote and released “I’m Looking Out For You”, the theme song for the hit Television Series “Real Stories Of The Highway Patrol”.
Solo Act
After the group broke up, Eljai launched his solo career. “I love music, music is my life, from the time I can remember, I have always been doing music, I don’t know what I would do without music, so when the group split up, it was a natural move for me to go out on my own. That’s what I know.” He explains. “Frenemy″ is a nice project man, take a listen, you will love it.” He concluded.
Connect With Eljai
“Frenemy” is the second project since the release of Eljai’s album “I know” for the now Los Angeles-based singer. “I Know” was produced by Fabian Cooke, a Jamaican who also calls the City of Angels home.
It was also Cooke who produced “Da Rebirth”, Eljai’s debut album, which came out in 2006.
Though his early recordings with Belize were R&B-influenced, he said reggae was always in the picture.
The sounds of Dennis Brown, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh were big on his playlist. So too were Trinidadian calypso giants Lord Kitchener and the Mighty Sparrow.
Producer Asani Ali, Saxophonist Dean Fraser, keyboardist Carroll ‘Bowie’ McLaughlin and British hitmaker Stingray Records, worked on “Frenemy”.
Eljai believes he has grown considerably since his first album.
“I’m definitely more confident as an artiste, a lot more mature. People who buy this record will hear that,” he said.
Frenemy refers to all the fake friends out there who pretend the love you in front of your face but talk mad trash about you behind your back.
Eljai
Entertainer
Labba Labba, Frenemy, Chatty Chatty, You are a Frenemy yes, Labba Labba, hey, hey yes, Chatty, Chatty.
I thought you were a friend of mine, in time ah trouble ah me you run find, I thought you were a friend to me yeah, but like a snake you ah try bit me hey, You ah the only one weh mi talk to, how come the neighbors a laugh so, you chat mi things dem abroad too, as a big man how you talk so? You have mi name inna long argument, police bwoy say you inform them, wey that, say just the other day dem kick off mi fence and ah last night dem kick down mi door again. But as a big man mi just a warn you, stay pan the straight and narrow, cause if you ever slip and mi buck you, touch you, a tough things come at you.
I thought you were a friend of mine, in time ah trouble ah me you run find, I thought you were a friend to me yeah, but like a snake you ah try bit me hey, You ah the only one weh mi talk to, how come the neighbors a laugh so, you chat mi things dem abroad too yeah, as a big man how you talk so?
You heartless dog and you full a bad mind, dutty hypocrite, mi cannot trust you no time, you smile inna my face but mi heart you try seek, but this ya lion ya you cannot defeat, as a big man mi just a warn you, stay pan the straight and narrow, cause if you ever slip and mi buck you, touch you, a tough things come at you.
I thought you were a friend of mine, in times ah trouble ah me you run find, I thought you were a friend to me yeah, but like a snake you ah try bit me hey. Frenemy, you just a Frenemy, you just a Frenemy yeah, nah Frenemy. You are a heartless dog and you full ah bad mind, dutty hypocrite, mi cannot trust you no time, you smile inna mi face but mi heart you try seek, but this ya lion ya you cannot defeat. As a big man mi just a warn you, stay pan the straight and di narrow, cause if you ever slip and mi buck you, buck you, a tough things come at you.
I thought you were a friend of mine, in times of trouble ah me you run find, I thought you were a friend to me yeah, but like a snake you ah try bit me hey, You ah the only one weh mi talk to, how come the neighbors a laugh so, you chat mi things dem abroad too, as a big man how you talk so?
Labba, Labba, You are a Frenemy, Chatty, Chatty, you are a Frenemy, Labba, Labba, You not a friend in need yeah, Chatty Chatty. Frenemy, you are a Frenemy, Frenemy, You are a Frenemy, Frenemy, Not a friend in need.
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