ELEW’s collaboration with Lil Wayne on “IANAHB,” the opening track on the rapper’s I Am Not A Human Being II, has been getting rave reviews from a variety of influential music magazines and blogs. Below are just a few of our favorite quotes from the coverage.
XXL: “Wayne’s always been great at opening his album, and the opener here certainly sets a tone. Over some experimental improvisation by jazz pianist Eric Robert Lewis, Wayne stretches out with some rhyme calisthenics and snarls his way through the nearly 6-minute track. This is Wayne at his most innovative, going heads-up with an equally unique musician and working off one another like jazz improvisers.”
Spin: “Opening track ‘IANAHB’is the highlight and sole true head-spinner, the lone moment to reach those dizzying Wayne-we-all-loved heights. As quasi-classy piano twinkles, he mind-melds with an increasingly avant-garde plink-plonk figure…It’s a creative take on the does-a-lot-of-drugs, bitches-ain’t-shit hip-hop upon which he’s increasingly reliant.”
Consequence Of Sound: “‘IANAHB’ is a striking five minutes of Weezy riffing verse after verse to some impressive piano soloing by producer/pianist ELEW…The track is an unexpected blitz, and one of his more memorable recordings to date.”
Hit The Floor: “Kicking off the set, the intro and title track doesn’t just perfectly represent the album, but is also the definitive Lil Wayne experience. Jazz pianist ELEW, is credited as producer, but should be given a larger credit of collaborator. He creates a moody instrumental that builds and twists, with Wayne confidently striding in at every turn. This track hints at the next level.”