{"id":468,"date":"2025-12-06T00:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T00:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2025\/12\/billboard-hip-hop-exclusive-elijah-html\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T00:57:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T00:57:00","slug":"billboard-hip-hop-exclusive-elijah-html","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2025\/12\/billboard-hip-hop-exclusive-elijah-html\/","title":{"rendered":"Billboard Hip-Hop Exclusive: Elijah Beaver aka Eli B Is Redefining Realness Through Music and Film"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

By Billboard Hip-Hop Staff<\/span><\/p>\n

Rising artist and actor Elijah Beaver, known to the culture as Eli B, is quickly becoming one of the most compelling new voices breaking out of the Tri-State area. With roots stretching through Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware, and time spent grinding in both New York and Los Angeles, Eli B\u2019s story is a blend of grit, versatility, and authenticity\u2014qualities that have shaped both his music and acting careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now gearing up for the release of his anticipated debut album Born 2 Be Real, Eli B is pushing forward with a message that resonates far beyond the studio: realness never goes out of style. His single \u201cReal Recognize Real\u201d, featuring Really Jaewon\u2014the son of hip-hop icon Jadakiss\u2014is already creating a wave that has the industry paying close attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

Billboard Hip-Hop sat down with Eli B for an exclusive conversation about his journey, his craft, and what it truly means to \u201cbe real.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Exclusive Interview with Eli B
\nBillboard Hip-Hop: Congratulations on your debut album Born 2 Be Real. What sparked the
\nvision behind this project?<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: Thank you! The title comes from how I live my life. I\u2019ve always believed in authenticity, no
\nmatter if it\u2019s in music, acting, or just everyday situations. Born 2 Be Real is me choosing to stand
\non truth\u2014and encouraging others to do the same.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0Billboard Hip-Hop: Your single \u201cReal Recognize Real\u201d with Really Jaewon is gaining real
\nmomentum. How did you two connect?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: Jaewon is incredibly talented, and of course he\u2019s got legendary DNA being Jadakiss\u2019 son.
\nWe linked through mutual industry connections, vibed instantly in the studio, and the record
\ncame together naturally. It\u2019s about respect, authenticity\u2014everything we both stand for.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n

Billboard Hip-Hop: You\u2019re also making moves as an actor with roles in BET+\u2019s \u201cRSVP\u201d and
\nHulu\u2019s \u201cThe Ultimate Playlist of Noise.\u201d How do you balance acting and music?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n


<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: For me, acting and music are both storytelling. With acting, I become a character. With
\nmusic, I tell my own story. Balancing the two feels natural because I\u2019m passionate about both
\nequally.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0Billboard Hip-Hop: You\u2019re a two-time award-winning actor. What did those wins mean to you?<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0Eli B: They were big moments\u2014reminders that the hard work is being recognized. Awards aren\u2019t
\neverything, but they do let you know the artistry is connecting.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Billboard Hip-Hop: You\u2019ve lived in several major cities. How have those environments shaped
\nyour artistry?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: Philly gave me grit. Jersey and Delaware gave me community. New York showed me
\nhustle. LA gave me vision and creativity. All of that influences who I am and the stories I tell.
\nBillboard Hip-Hop: What do you want listeners to feel when they hear Born 2 Be Real?<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: I want them to feel truth\u2014raw honesty. I want people to hear my story and see their own
\nreflections in it. Being real will always shine the brightest.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Billboard Hip-Hop: What\u2019s next for Eli B after the album drops?\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Eli B: More films, more music, more growth. I never want to be boxed in. My goal is to
\ninspire\u2014whether through a verse or a character on screen.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

What\u2019s Next for Eli B
\n\ud83d\udcc0 Debut album: Born 2 Be Real \u2014 coming soon<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd25 Lead single: \u201cReal Recognize Real\u201d ft. Really Jaewon\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfac Recent acting work:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RSVP (BET+)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ultimate Playlist of Noise (Hulu)
\n\ud83d\udccc\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow Eli B\u2019s journey on Facebook:
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/19FQsP5Vw5\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Billboard Hip-Hop Staff Rising artist and actor Elijah Beaver, known to the culture as Eli B, is quickly becoming…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14044,"featured_media":472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[10,9],"class_list":["post-468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-rss","tag-culture","tag-hip-hop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14044"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}