“Prana was written during a time in my life when I felt a very powerful spiritual awakening. Life had slowed down during COVID and I had the time to think a lot more about who I am and who I want to be. I hope that by listening to this album people will feel inspired to be themselves and live life a lot more freely.” – Benjamin Elias

On the opening track “Dali Lama” Elias sets the album’s tone with a soothing intro that sounds like a guided mediation (from a female voice) saying: “Today, I want you to focus on your breath more than anything…you might feel awake, you might feel tired but most importantly, you should feel alive,” immediately allowing the listener to engage in the spiritual practice before being immersed with Elias’ stacked and poetic lyrics, which continues through all 7 tracks.

As Prana navigates through the mindset of embracing the now, listeners will be in for many surprises. One such moment is the beat switch on the fifth track “Time / Nuweiba”, which shifts mid-track from a story about “working around the clock” to one about the feeling of relaxing on the beach. This moment demonstrates the album’s arc perfectly: descriptive but with plenty of room for breathing, and organic composition of thought.

Benjamin Elias has a unique story of being born and partially raised in Denver but then moving to Tel Aviv when he was 13. Living in two such starkly different cultures gave him a unique perspective that he feels translates to his music. Prana (recorded in Israel at KWA Studios), shows an interesting contrast between introspective lyrics, and bouncy musical production inspired by artists such as Drake, Jack Harlow, and Travis Scott. Elias shares, “I’ve always been passionate about storytelling (my parents say I could talk long before I could walk) — and my original dream was actually to write books. Once I discovered hip-hop I felt an immediate rush of energy and I knew that this was what I was born to do.” Elias is an artist in control of his path, cultivating a sound with a mainstream appeal that doesn’t need to compromise originality and honesty to be catchy and fun.

The first single from the album, “Lyfted (featuring Tony Millions and Soul Special)” was released on June 24th and can be found here.

Elias will unveil 3 singles before the full release of Prana: “Buzz” (July 2oth); “Time/Nuweiba (featuring Guyku)” (July 28th); and “Ivory” (August 4th). The album will also be supported by a two-part music video for the songs “Before Cali” and “Dali Lama.”

About Benjamin Elias:

Benjamin Elias is a hip-hop artist currently based in Israel. He was born in Denver, Colorado and he moved to Israel at the age of 13. This was a formative experience for him that influenced his personality and music greatly. Benjamin has always been passionate about writing and his initial dream was to be a fiction writer – but after becoming disillusioned with the difficulty of getting people to engage with a novel he wrote in high school, he decided to pursue hip-hop instead. He views hip hop as “the most accessible way to tell a story in the 21 century” and “incredible art-from that allows you to express yourself in a very interesting and honest way”. In his music, he creates an eclectic sound that mixes catchy hooks and bouncy beats with introspective lyrics that tell personal stories and dive into Benjamin’s “live for the moment” worldview.