Blogamole Sits Down with Singer/Songwriter Elijah King

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

We sat down for a chat with Florida-born Puerto Rican singer and songwriter Elijah King to talk about his latest work, his gospel roots, life on stage, and pursuing his dreams.

B. So what inspires you? How do you come up with ideas?

E.K. Well, it just depends on a mood or a vibe, it depends on what's going on that day, I guess. It's just all around. If I hear a beat, and it's slow, or, whatever your mood is, it fits that moment. A lot of the newer stuff has some Caribbean beats, that feel, that energy. ...I mean, what... else are you going to sing to, when you've got so much energy?!

B. How does gospel music influence your work?

E.K. I guess it's the whole R&B, the soulful vibe that just comes naturally for me. That's what I grew up on. I grew up in church, so that was kind of my first taste of music.

B. Is that still an important part of your life?

E.K. Yes! I'm not gonna lie - I don't get to go to church like I used to, but I have a relationship with God. All those things are still close to me, and dear to me.

B. We know you get to perform with a lot of great artists. What's that like? You're coming out! You're meeting all these great people! Tell us a little about that - have you had any really amazing moments?

E.K. Well, of course, I mean, it's always a roller coaster ride. You get to do all these different shows and be on all these different stages with so many people who are looked on as icons all around the world! It's a privilege. I look forward to being one of those people one day myself. It's a fun ride, and I know there's a lot of people out there that wish they could do this. I'm just lucky to be one of the ones who can do it!

B. What is your number-one "Oh my goodness" mind-blower story? Have you ever had an 'oh wow I can't believe this is happening, I can't believe I'm meeting this person' moment?

E.K. Well you know, I think those moments usually happen on stage. Then, you know, bigger the crowd, the bigger the reaction, the crazier it feels. I remember we did a show in Cali a couple of years ago. There were a couple of hundred thousand people out there. When I got an encore to come out there again... that was a pretty great moment!

B. What did you sing?

E.K. Wow, what was I performing around that time. ...I remember I had a song called "Cry No More" it actually made it on the Billboards. That was fun. That was really fun.

B. So where do you see yourself ten years from now? Where would you like to be?

E.K. I would actually like to be doing what I'm doing right now but on another level, on a whole nother scale. And I would definitely like to be more involved on the creative side as far as production. Hopefully by that time I'll be a lot more relaxed and I'll have a lot more say.

B. Interesting! Do you feel like there are a lot of people giving you direction about your sound and your career? Are you able to go off on your own and do your own exploration?

E.K. Of course, you're going to have people that you work with who you have to respect and take in their opinions, because that's the only way you're going to learn. But I do have a lot of liberty to do what I like to do musically. I'm lucky to say it - not a lot of artists get to do that. I can't really complain. I just can't wait for the day when I can say "That's my record label. Those are my artists." Everything comes in its time.

B. Wow! It sounds like you've put a lot of time and energy into making your dreams a reality. You certainly have a pretty clear path mapped out for yourself - how important do you think it is to follow your dreams?

E.K. I'll never forget something that my mother told me when I was applying for colleges. ...Actually it was a little after that. I had already been accepted and I was about a week away from moving out. I told my mom what I was going to study: I was going to do business at the time. You know? That's my backup plan. That'll pay the bills. My mother told me not to do it. She told me not to worry if the money came or not, but to follow my heart, and you know, I've always lived my life by that. I think that if you don't do what you really feel in your heart, you'll never fully feel happy and fulfilled with yourself. I don't want to live, twenty years down the line, with a million dollars in the bank, but miserable because I never got to sing on a stage.

B. Speaking of the future, do you have any new records coming out?

E.K. Definitely. I have an English single coming out with T-Pain called "Handclap." It's actually doing really well, we're getting new fans in Europe. And I have a Spanish single that we're promoting now. The video's on MTV Tr3s. It's called "Nunca te Vuelvo a Ver." Right now all my energy is going to pushing that stuff.

B. Okay, we have one last question for you: If you had one thing to say to young creative people out there who are just starting out, what would you tell them?

E.K. I would say keep on pushing! Never give up! It's always going to take a lot of sacrifice, but if you keep your head right, keep focused, you will see your dreams come true one day.

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So what's your dream? And what are you doing to make it come true? Tell us in the comments!

Tags blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Elijah King, Free Latin Music