Elijah Rosario: Gets personal with debut album ‘Genuine Truths’
Genuine Truths Elijah Rosario’s debut album offers a sneak peek into the personal life of an artist who has been making music for the past 10 years. Rosario’s signature sound has been defined by his ability to effortlessly weave pop sensibilities with mainstream RnB with a splash of melodic hip-hop flows.
Rosario who resides in the heart of Durham, North Carolina plans to make his mark in the music industry by being transparent, authentic, and being the best version of himself. Elijah has always felt that making music was much more than just a hobby for him. The music he makes is a reflection of his personal life and the daily struggles that he goes through as an individual. There aren’t any gimmicks to his persona or the music he makes for his fans. It’s all real and comes from a place of genuine love for the art of making music.
The past ten years leading up to the release of his debut project Genuine Truths has seen Elijah grow from strength to strength. However, his music journey wasn’t always plain sailing. Elijah’s journey has seen him go through periods of self-doubt while trying to navigate his way through the music business as an independent artist.
What kept Elijah Rosario going was the awe-inspiring support from his fan base which he managed to cultivate as the years went by. Without the care of those die-hard fans who supported his music, Elijah might have given up making music altogether. Fortunately for Elijah, he was carried by the love of his fans during those tough times of self-doubt. Ultimately they lead him to create his debut project Genuine Truths which he hopes can touch the lives of those who supported him through the difficult periods in his life.
For first listeners, Elijah likens himself to popular artists such as Partynextdoor and Roy Woods. Both inspire Elijah Rosario sonically and the way they carry themselves over a track. Rosario is a gifted artist who has all the talent and drive to make himself a household name within the music industry, with 10 years of music experience behind him Elijah truly hopes to finally break into the mainstream world with his latest body of work Genuine Truths. Elijah is poised to assert himself in the music industry as an artist not only capable of making great music but also breaking the template of what is expected from him based on his musical background.
Genuine Truths is a 10 track album that features the likes of Hip-hop and Rnb artist Voyce, Afro-pop artist Livie, and RnB/Hip-hop artist Kfreshh. Elijah Rosario takes us on a journey of a young man who battles with addiction, love, and past relationships while trying to be fully transparent with himself as he grows into the man that he wants to become.
The album is full of relatable stories and sees Rosario deliver lyrics that will leave listeners with a fair amount of personal reflection.
This interview has been lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context.
Daniel Young: What was the reason behind the name Genuine Truths?
Elijah Rosario: Genuine truths? So I came up with that title during the time I was recording the music which was going to be on the album. What inspired the name of the album was really the relationships that I was building and what I was going through during my marriage at the time. Another important aspect which played a part in naming the album was the personal battles which I had with myself as well… So eventually when I had recorded all the songs and I listened to it back I came to the revelation that I was really speaking my genuine truths on each song. That’s really how the name of the album came to be.
DY: How would you describe your sound to a first time listener?
ER: I would say that my sound is very diverse, let me put it this way if someone had to go on Spotify and listen to an artist after me, before me or even try to put my music in a playlist with other artists then I would be group with the likes of PartyNextDoor and Roy Woods. Artists who aren’t afraid to bend the genre of pop and mix it with RnB.
DY: Were there any difficulties that you faced while making the project?
ER: Just to be a bit personal here during the creation of the project my marriage was a bit rocky. There was this tension in my home, my wife and I already spoke about this and sorted things out but one of the biggest things were the failure of communication during the recording process. When I create projects I get so focused and I immerse myself into my work it’s almost like being an actor where you literally have to become that character and nobody around you knows what’s going on and this really caused tension between my wife and I. Working late hours being away from home really had its impact on my marriage. Looking back, I wasn’t really attentive to my relationship and the needs of wife. This really made me take a hard look at myself and it pointed out things that I needed to change as a creative in order to keep a positive balance in my life.
DY: Would you say that you make your best music from personal life experiences?
ER: Absolutely, I really do make the best music when it comes from things that I have experienced. There are so much emotions to draw from and writing the lyrics to those songs brings out a good blend of passion and creativity. I’ve had a lot of experiences with relationships and spirituality that I can use to create songs which just connects with people. The amount of feedback that I have received from people saying that they feel a connection with each song on this 10 song project really fills my heart with gratitude. I can definitely see more success if I continue writing from my personal experiences.
DY: Why did you decide on 10 songs for the project?
ER: As an independent artist it’s very difficult to put out a 45-minute project especially if you’re trying to constantly grow your audience. I sat down with a few producer friends of mine and we came to the conclusion that I should create a 10 song project. The funny thing is I’ve never created a project that was 10 songs before and something that I’ve noticed is that my fans would reach out to say that my previous projects was always too short. So bearing that in mind I saw it has the perfect opportunity to please my fans and try something new.
DY: Looking back at your journey this far, would you say that all the hard work and effort you’ve put in over the last 10 years is finally being rewarded with Genuine Truths being released?
ER: To an extent yes, obviously there is still so much more work to be done as I truly believe that I’m not where I’m supposed to be yet. The project has allowed me to reflect a lot on my journey. I have fans who have been with me since my soundcloud days and they have seen me develop on a whole new level with the release of Genuine Truths. I’ve even received messages from my fans saying that they can hear the growth in my music and how I’ve matured over the years and come into my own as an artist. For people who never heard me before its allowed me to reach newer people. I think I really am seeing the rewards of all those sleepless nights.
DY: Being an independent artist do you think that sharing information about the music industry is key to helping artists develop further?
ER: Information is power. We can ever go wrong with studying the industry that we are trying to succeed in. Whenever I see information on YouTube on how to grow your audience or even new developments within the industry I make sure to pay close attention as I know that it can only benefit me in the long run and help me become a better artist. In this day and age information is free and available at our fingertips so why not take advantage of this opportunity?! At the end of the day nobody is going to be successful for you, you need to want that for yourself.
DY: When fans listen to the project what do you want them to take away from the listening experience?
ER: I want people to feel more comfortable with themselves and expressing their emotions. I called the project Genuine Truths because I went out of my way to be transparent about my life and what I’m going through. With that I really saw the importance of taking accountability for my own actions. I just want to encourage people to speak their truths, be accountable for their actions and most importantly have those honest conversations which might seem difficult to have. It’s all about being transparent and allowing that transparency to change you for the better.
DY: Where do you see yourself in the grander scheme of American music?
ER: I see myself on the mainstream level. I really want to solidify myself in the music industry and give back to artists who are coming up after me. I feel that artist development is a lost cause these days and I want to help artists who are struggling with the same things that I had to overcome on my own. I am a firm believer of helping others to achieve their goals as I believe that there is success for everyone in the industry.
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