ELI DERBY
CENSOR ©
Starting in three. Two. One. What's going on today? We're here with Eli Derby.
Of course, you know. We ain't gotta do that bullshit intro. Of course, you know, we already kind of know each other and had the pleasure conversing with you a little bit. Umm yeah, man. What I heard was crazy. Them two songs you played for me were absolutely insane. You know, of course I gotta ask some basic questions. Like, how did you get into this. Shit like this. I know you're from DC. Went to an art school, you said?
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ELI
Yeah, yeah. I went to middle school. I went to um, Benjamin Floyd performing Arts Middle school.
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CENSOR ©
That's crazy. So yeah, your parents been into the music game. I know your dad was a pastor, right?
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ELI
Nah, my grandfather was a pastor.
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CENSOR ©
Your grandfather was a pastor, so you grew up in the church.
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ELI
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. My uncle was a drummer, so that's kind of where I got the drumming from.
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CENSOR ©
Where did you get the guitar from? Was that all on your own?
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ELI
Well, I was in middle school and I saw that at the time not too many people were African Americans, Black people playing a guitar.
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In DC?
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ELI
Uh, just like online. Like, just singers.
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CENSOR ©
Oh yeah, yeah. Singers in general.
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ELI
I just saw Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes. Like those types of guys and I'm just like, damn, I want to stand out. So let me play guitar.
CENSOR ©
Yeah.
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ELI
That’s what that was.
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CENSOR ©
Damn, that's crazy. So did your parents push you into the music thing, or was it...It's just that you was always surrounded growing up, so you kind of leaned into it yourself?
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ELI
Um, I told you like my uncle was playing the drums, right? And so like, I was sitting on his lap. And then, like, Christmas time, our people surprised me with a drum set. And then from there, I was like, I want to be a drummer. But my dad was like, yeah, you're not gonna be a drummer. You're not gonna be a fucking drummer.
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CENSOR ©
Why’d your dad say that?
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ELI
He was like you’re gonna be better than me. Like I don't want I don't want you to be a drummer. Like, respectfully. Uh, and I hated that at the time. But he like kind of forced me to play piano.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah. Learn other stuff.
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ELI
Exactly, so...and sing as well. Like he forced me to sing and I started to love it eventually.
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CENSOR ©
So reflect on your come up story for me. Recollect from your point of view how you came up to where you are today. Getting signed, being tapped in with Joey Bada$$ and 6lack and...
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ELI
Yeah, it's been crazy like.
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CENSOR ©
So yeah. Recollect on your come up story. How you got to where you are today. Being signed.
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ELI
This is crazy. Haha. So. Middle school. I hated middle school. And I was kind of like doing auditions for movies and Broadway and I got picked up to do Michael Jackson on Broadway, little Michael
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CENSOR ©
I did not know that. That's a surprising fact. How was that?
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ELI
It was life changing. It was weird because I was telling my friends about this great opportunity. And they were, like, really hating on me about it. It was like making fun of me. Like, why are you going to New York...you need to be going to high school. Cause I was getting home schooled. And it was like I’m not going to high school. Like, I’m doing something else and they was like... Even the teachers was clowning me about this at the time.
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CENSOR ©
Really? Even the teachers?
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ELI
Yeah, they was like, you're not gon...? Like, what are you doing? Like, you need to go to high school. Um, but that changed my whole life and I just really like found out what I wanted to do. I liked Broadway but I didn’t love Broadway. I knew what I wanted to do. My mother had took me to see Chris Brown when I was real young. Trey Songz. Between the Sheets Tour. I was like, I want to do that. So, I had always known that, but I knew Broadway was a step towards that. So, I was doing that and then I went to Philly. My peoples moved to Philly. My dad moved to Philly.
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CENSOR ©
Ok
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ELI
And me and my dad were staying in this one room. And I was sleeping... we were just like on this bed, like, that's all we could afford at the time. And he was, like, sneaking me into clubs. And I would be doing open mics.
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CENSOR ©
Wait, wait, wait. How old were you at this time?
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ELI
I was 15.
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CENSOR ©
15 in the club, doing open mics? That's crazy.
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ELI
Yeah. Yeah, just me and my guitar. By this time I had like figured out some cords and I knew how to play. I learned really fast with guitar. And then Adele's piano player, Eric Wortham, had saw me at an open mic and was like, “Yo, you're amazing. Where’s your peoples?” And I sent him to my dad. He was like, “I want to help.” And through him, I kind of just got in touch with Freddy Wexler, who's a dope singer-songwriter for like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber. And through him like he just tapped me in with LVRN and kind of just like put me in certain situations to help my career grow.
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CENSOR ©
Of course. Yeah, yeah, I like that. I like that. So, it was... it was kind of destined.
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ELI
It’s crazy, bro.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah.
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ELI
Politics.
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CENSOR ©
So. I wanted to ask. You know I've been listening to a lot of your music lately. I had brought up ‘Jayla's Interlude’ to you. What's the story behind that one track in particular?
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ELI
Damn, I was in this relationship for a minute and I was in the relationship, but I had one foot out and one foot in kind of a bit. But I also feel like I was trying to be changed a bit in a way and I was compromising myself for someone else in a way.
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CENSOR ©
Of course.
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ELI
If that makes sense. I feel like we all can relate to that.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah, losing yourself in the relationship. You had to cut her loose. I get it.
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ELI
Not even just cut her loose. I wouldn't say that, but just kind of figure my shit out.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah.
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ELI
And be unapologetic about that.
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CENSOR ©
Of course.
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ELI
So that's kind of what that touched on.
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CENSOR ©
So, which one of your songs would you say has helped you the most emotionally? What's one of your most emotion driven songs?
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ELI
Mmm. I always loved ‘Lately’. That's always a good one. ‘Jayla’s Interlude’ is dope. I like ‘Gaslight’ and the new stuff that I’m bout to drop pretty, pretty soon. It’s very therapeutic. Very therapeutic. Like ‘Run It Up’ is dope.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah. Is that the one I heard? The second one I heard? Amazing, amazing track.
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ELI
Yeah. ‘Her Type’, I like ‘Her Type’.
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CENSOR ©
So, what hobbies do you have outside of music? You know, besides the guitar and?
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ELI
I like to be at home.
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What's your favorite place you’ve been? I know you said you've been to New York since you was little.
ELI
I ain’t gon lie, recently it was Canada. I just went...
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CENSOR ©
Oh, when did you go to Canada?
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ELI
Last month? It was last month.
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CENSOR ©
Toronto?
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ELI
Yeah, no it was in Quebec. and I just like had some amazing people that I was around. I say people make the trips like if you're not around the right people, you're not going to have fun.
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CENSOR ©
That is facts. I love Canada. So, would you say you know, you being at home since that's your comfort space, do you think that contributes a lot to your music? Does that have a large influence on your music being comfortable?
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ELI
Yes, yes. Yeah if I'm not comfortable like, I'm not gonna make the best songs. What would I do? I like to shoot hoops sometimes. Play basketball, ride my bike. I love to workout, too. I love working out and reading. That sounds very boring when I just said that out loud. I love to read like I just, I do. I like to get smarter.
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CENSOR ©
So, what music did you grew up on? Your grandfather was a pastor. Your mom was in the arts and stuff, went to Duke. Of course. So how did that influence... what type of music did they play for you growing up?
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ELI
Yeah. So like, it was a lot of gospel at first. Like even my grandparents played a lot of gospel around me, but I had the luxury of having sisters too. I have three sisters total. So like when I was like really young, they put me on to Michael Jackson's ‘Thriller’. I was like, what the hell is this?
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CENSOR ©
You the only boy?
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ELI
Yeah, I'm only boy.
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CENSOR ©
Youngest?
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ELI
Uh, second youngest.
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CENSOR ©
OK.
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ELI
I’m in the middle. And like my dad, loved Prince. Like he would play all the Prince. He would play like Jo... Jodeci. Just all of the 90’s classics.
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CENSOR ©
The slow jam joints. The quiet storm type.
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ELI
Yeah. I also love like Frank Ocean. I just like kind of experimented on my own when I was like, you know, loving Chris Brown, Bruno Omars, Drake obviously. I love hip hop a lot. Like I what I do like with my writing now is like I'll listen to the melodies of R&B, but the lyrics of rap and like...
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CENSOR ©
And try to mix it together.
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ELI
Yeah, because I like to, I don't know... Recently I just been on the wave of just like talking shit.
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CENSOR ©
I see. I seen it from the last two songs. I was like, “oh he popping it this time.”
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ELI
You feel me? So, that’s what I’m on.
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CENSOR ©
OK. All right. I respect that. So, if you could...how did you find your song? I know we kind of tapped into that, but what was the process of you finding your sound besides growing up on R&B and gospel?
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ELI
Well, yeah. So I asked my mother for a computer when I was like in 6th or 7th grade and she couldn't really afford it at the time. So, I kind of like used my money... I was playing drums in church and I would spend that money and I was able to afford to get my own computer. So, I was producing when I was like in 6th, 7th, 8th grade. I was like making my own beats back then.
So, people don't know this, but like ‘Gaslight’, this guy named Dahi. Amazing producer. He did like ‘Loyalty’ Kendrick. ‘Gravity’ with Brent. Yeah. Tyler.
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CENSOR ©
‘Gaslight’ is one of your first songs? 2021, right?
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ELI
Yeah, yeah. The first song. The first song I ever dropped.
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CENSOR ©
OK. Yeah, yeah.
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ELI
And he sent me the sample for it, but I went in Logic, put some drums to it and kind of just rearranged the beat a bit. But, I say that to say like I've been making... I've been like, figuring out my sound and I know my sound. Since then, like, I produced my own music. Majority. Like lately I co-produced ‘Gaslight’. I co-produced Jayla’s Interlude. That's me on guitar and...
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CENSOR ©
Really?
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ELI
Yeah. ‘Her Type’, I co-produced. I like really produce all my shit. I'm very hands on when it comes to my music.
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CENSOR ©
Damn, that's something I didn't know about you.
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ELI
Yeah, very very hands on.
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What's something else that you think a lot more people should know about you that people don't really?
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ELI
Mmm. I’m delusional.
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CENSOR ©
Haha. What you mean by that?
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ELI
I'm very, very, very driven. But I'm also like. It’s interesting. I was talking to my friend yesterday. Like we can be so... we can get so sidetracked by... I was on tour like last year and I was kind of sidetracked by... I don't want to say women, but just like distractions.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah.
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ELI
But I have like this goal in mind and I have a certain dream life that I want to live. And like, nothing’s stopping me from that. Like, at all. Like, I'mma get mine. Like, I'm very driven.
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CENSOR ©
By any means necessary.
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ELI
Like, nobody’s stopping that. You feel me?
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What is that goal?
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ELI
I want to go and be where I want to be at any point, at any time, and I don't want anybody to have to tell me where I can't go. Like, be my own boss. Which, I'm getting there. And yeah, I want to be able to just do me. Like I just want to be happy though. Like happy is like... it's so cliche to say, but like mentally. Like, you can have everything and still be like fucked up in the head. Like not need no drugs, no like wine or any vices. Like I just want to be, like, fulfilled. And I want to retire my mom and my dad. I want to like set my people straight.
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CENSOR ©
Do you feel you're not there yet?
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ELI
I'm getting there. Getting there. I'm still relatively young, I guess. Even me being this young, I still am very hard on myself. Like there’s certain shit, I'm like, I could do better. Like, I'm always striving. Like, always striving.
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CENSOR ©
So, let's take it back to 2021 when you dropped your first song. What would you go back and tell that young Eli? What experiences that you've experienced up to this point would you share with him? Like this shit is crazy. You wouldn't believe we did this. We went on a tour...
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ELI
You said, what would I tell my younger self?
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CENSOR ©
Yeah, what would you tell your 2021 self? Making that first song...making ‘gaslight’.
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ELI
To focus. I sound so very cliche, I know, but it's very true. When I was younger, I would get, like, distracted and things like that. But to just like, really hone in. Like try to hone in on the goal. Like, what's the goal? Like, what's the goal? Like you want to do this, so just focus bro. Like my generation... me... I don't know, our generation... we can just get distracted. So, that's what I would say.
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CENSOR ©
I'm right there with you. Right there with you, of course. Well man, I got one more question for you. Of course... What's your plans? What you got coming out soon?
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ELI
So I'm dropping a single next month. We have a roll out plan, so that's really exciting. I'm super excited for that. And I just have my first commercial, so stay tuned for that. That's going to be coming up.
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CENSOR ©
What? Commercial?
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ELI
Yes. Insane. So, stay tuned for that. That's big! And then um...
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CENSOR ©
You looking at your manager. You trying to see what else y'all got going.
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ELI
Nah, it’s cool. It’s cool. It was like a clothing commercial. They reached out. Hollister co reached out. It was just like, “we want you to be in this commercial.” And that was just like a super big blessing, like, super blessed about that. And then this movie is coming out. This is so sad that I’m forgetting the fucking name. Chris Tucker is in it... I'm sorry, Chris Rock is in it. A couple other dudes, but I'm, like, singing in it. And so, I'm excited for that to come out. I have a lot of things rolling. God is great. Tour next year. And yeah, the sky is the limit. The sky is not the limit. It's really like past space and shit like that. You feel me?
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CENSOR ©
Yeah, the Milky Way is the limit.
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ELI
Exactly. Jupiter and Mars and Saturn and shit.
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CENSOR ©
Yeah, exactly. I love it. I love it. Thank you for this interview, man.
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ELI
Thank you, bro. Thank you.