It's been said that one of mankind's greatest characteristics is the ability to adapt to virtually any environment. Watching Elie Allmytee(e*lie all*my*tee), it's clear why. Whether he's in his own studio in Stone Mountain, Ga., laboring diligently over one of his signature guitar heavy tracks or on the other side of town in College Park, fluidly delivering a verse, Elie always seems right at home. His easy charm and maneuverability has garnered him fans throughout the city and region, and with his solo debut EP, Lost My Mind, he's prepared to fully introduce his vision to the masses. "It's the best work yet as far as the sound and quality," he says, offering a confident, dimpled grin. "I had a better idea of the direction that I wanted to go with this project." With dynamic features and production from talent like J.R. Phantom, P.I.T. (Shop Boyz), T.O. Loco, E.T.F. Da Set and Willie Joe, Lost My Mind EP serves as a proper introduction to Elie's anticipated upcoming debut, Neva Enuff. Propelled by the catchy lead single, "Lost My Mind," he readily displays his unique perspective and keen insight throughout the project. "The album is balanced," he offers. "I try to bring some humor to my music, something that ain't too depressing and have some fun with it but at the same time have a message." Originally from Long Island, NY, Elie's family moved to Atlanta when he was 10 years old. Already, he was enamored with music, touched by Hip Hop in particular. "When I came to Atlanta, it was more about the rhythm and the beats, but in New York it was more about the lyrics and what you had to say," he says. Laid-back and relatively quiet as a kid, Elie's adaptability was almost immediately put to the test when he arrived in Atlanta. At the time, there was an influx of families moving to the city from New York, and naturally some adjustment was necessary for people from both regions. "Everything was cool at first cuz there were a lot of people movin' to this area from up north," he remembers. "Then it came to a point where everybody from Georgia hated people from New York, so I had a lot of conflicts as a youth, but it wasn't nuthin I couldn't handle." He releases a disarming grin and shakes his head slightly at what is now a distant memory. True to his easy-going personality, it didn't take too long for him to blend in with his peers from both the north and the south and that key merger is evident his music. He's consistently given listeners a dose of his personality with his insightful, witty lyricism and well-paced delivery. "My sound is a good blend, it's not too much of anything," he relays after a thoughtful pause. "It's not negative but there's not a whole lot of preachin either. It's something to ride to." With influences ranging from Jay-Z and Biggie to Snoop Dog, 2 Pac and Outkast, Elie has made a concerted effort to shape his own musical identity as a solo artist, producer and one-third of his group, E.T.F. (Elie, T.O. and Fury) Da Set. In 2005, the group released two mixtapes, Rock Bottom and Mountaintop, which garnered a significant buzz throughout the city and encouraged Elie to whole-heartedly pursue his music career via his company, Crunchtime Entertainment. His innate business sense has already aided him greatly. "I had to stop waiting on somebody else to do it for me," he explains with an easy shrug when asked why he started the label. And though he's fully capable of wearing many hats, at the end of the day, he simply wants to make good music. "Just the feeling that I get when I hear tight music," he shakes his head and pauses briefly before releasing a grin, his eyes growing serious. "I want to give someone else that feeling."
