Pittsburgh rapper, T.J. Ellison began rapping at the age of eight after dabbling with spoken word. He makes music that is inspirational, motivational, and emotional. His first release goes back to the year 2000, when Ellison made a mixtape specifically for friends and family.
T.J. Ellison’s first world wide release was in 2009 when he dropped his single “Do You Know You Got It?” under his own independent label Holla 5-9! Records after parting ways with The Orchard distributed Sonic Wave International, without releasing a project under the label.
T.J. Ellison has released three official albums, “Underestimated” (2011), “Unorthodox” (2012) and “Be Strong, Stay Strong” (2013). After his single “Like A Winner” (featuring and produced by Aro of Kloudnine Music) was released on January, the Pittsburgh rapper has now dropped the highly anticipated follow-up, “Shoot For The Stars”.
T.J. Ellison gives a healthy dose of intelligent lyrics to supplement the “mass appeal talk” for the urban market. He sticks to what he experiences without trying to ride any sort of style bandwagon. Because of that his lyrics stay interesting and he actually tells you something that is worth you spending the time. That’s really what rap music should be all about.
What I like about Ellison and his music is that he brings a positive message into most of his songs. He can hit home with everyone. College kids on their grind, hustlers trying to find a way out or people who just want to bob their heads to the beat.
The lyrics on “Shoot For The Stars” are real and from the heart. I like what he is saying and he’s saying it with motivation. The track starts strong, continues strong in the middle, and finishes very strong. The production has a lot of thump-and-bump with a keyboard driven rhythm.
“Shoot For The Stars” is the latest chapter in the story of T.J. Ellison and shows that he can consistently bring fresh music, while adapting and growing in a genre that is usually quite stale.
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