Ep. 71: Artist and DJ Elijah on Independence, Creativity, and Closing the App.
Elijah by Osman Ahmed
Elijah is a writer, DJ, and creative thinker with over 15 years of experience working within London’s independent music and arts scenes. As co-founder of influential grime label Butterz founded in 2010 until 2021, Elijah helped bring underground UK music to international attention.
ELIJAH 360
Since 2021, he’s been the force behind the highly unique Yellow Squares project — handwritten creative prompts shared on Instagram that have grown into visual installations, billboards, lecture series, and more.
Close The App Make The Ting
His new book, Close the App, Make the Ting: Transformative Prompts for the Modern Artist, distills years of insight into bold, practical, inspiring prompts for artists navigating the noise of their digital and internal worlds. As a Fellow at SOAS, Elijah’s work continues to centre independent thinking, collaboration, and transformation.
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In this episode, he speaks with Chrystal Genesis about the book, creative ecosystems, Jamaican culture, Black British identity, and how challenging outdated systems and ideas can deliver strong artistic work that lasts.
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Buy Close the App, Make the Ting: Transformative Prompts for the Modern Artist Here
Make The Ting by Elijah & Jammz
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Front Page Image: Elijah by Osman Ahmed