Oakland’s Elujay gets old school on “Locked In,” brings the Bay Area to The Voltage Lounge

Oakland neo-soul singer, rapper and producer Elujay first came on my radar when he released his 2016 debut project Jentrify. It was an upbeat and soulful mix of tracks with a lot of catchy melodic hooks that showcased his laid-back style of delivery as well as his sensual vocals.

For lyrical inspiration, Elujay looked at the changes in his Bay Area community, where high-end new developments were causing a shift that displacing longtime lower-income residents. He other goal with the thirteen track collection was to represent the community’s thriving musical culture by incorporating many of its creative minds, musicians, and voices, including Samaria, Jay Ant, Rexx Life Raj, and more.

From there, Elujay has been releasing a bunch of singles such as the infectious Goldlink-esque style track “Golden” and earlier this month, a soulful gem titled “Locked In” following his equally smooth track “Starchild.” The artist debuted the new track on a performance with COLORS (watch the video here) as a preview for his to-be-titled second full-length project.

On top of recording, Elujay is also on a summer tour with Memphis’s own Healy. The two are coming to Philadelphia on July 16th at The Voltage Lounge for a night filled with nothing but chill vibes. For more information on the show, click here.

Below, listen to Elujay’s new single “Locked In”