Ever since the creation of the Soundcloud era during the mid-2010s, teenagers all over the world have attempted their hand at becoming the next up-and-coming artist. Typically, these amateur artists wither out of their young careers after minimal effort, but one artist on NC’s very own campus continues to impress and build his own sound. Senior Elijah Burke, who goes by the stage name w0rldwide eli, began his career in 2020 and strictly created Hip-Hop songs. Recently, w0rldwide eli released his newest project, “The World is Yours 2: The World is Still Yours”, which ventured into new heights and sounds. Burke manages to keep his youthful tone while advancing the complexity of his art. 

“This project meant everything to me. It’s like taking care of your own child. You have to care for it and take time on it so it can flourish,” Burke said. 

As listeners click play on the opening song of this anticipated project, w0rldwide eli greets them with a familiar sample. The Atlanta area rapper’s first song entitled, “Thrill of it”, resembles the likes of Grammy winner Wiz Khalifa’s remix to Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream”. 

“My favorite moment of recording was when I made ‘Thrill of It’. I took a hiatus from music to deal with personal issues and just came out the gate firing, which made me very excited to further build my sound,” Burke said. 

Continuing onto the second and third track, listeners hear w0rldwide eli link up with frequent collaborator Jb$ndwxy as both a producer and featured artist. Both artists belong to a musical collective named the “No Top Boys”, which boasts up and coming talent from around the Cobb County area. With fast flows and unique wordplay, the duo effectively maintain the audience’s attention. w0rldwide eli even takes the time to mention Jiles Road in the song, “I’m Fine,” acknowledging a commonly known street in the city of Kennesaw.

“References to NC and the surrounding community are all over the place. NC is my first fan base and I’m grateful for the love I get. Although sometimes it may come with a cost, I appreciate the love I get from students here”, Burke said. 

The project begins to turn from a more youthful tone to a reflective piece of art when track five begins to play. In a 30 second ballad, w0rldwide eli honors the life of a former NC alum who passed during his sophomore year, which then powerfully transitions into “Can’t Stop the Rain”. Here, listeners get to see the artist melodically sing and rap which represents his progression throughout the years. 

“The idea was to just simply make something to groove to but with real meaning. I like to speak about my current headspace and current feelings in a way where people can feel it but still bop to it,” Burke said. 

The project ultimately builds up to the deepest cutting song on the tracklist entitled, “Pictures on the Wall”. w0rldwide eli speaks on a combination of topics including but not limited to his upbringing, mental health, support system, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. With somber vocals backing his powerful lyricism, listeners sit invested in the mix until an eventual switch-up occurs. Using the same instrumental and recording style as rapper J.Cole did on Logic’s “AfricAryaN”, w0rldwide eli breaks down the song into its purest form, establishing even more vulnerability. 

“My intent to pay my respects to some of the greats in Hip-Hop was definitely there. Wiz is a legend and Cole is my favorite artist ever. It’s only right that I pay homage to the ones who came before me,” Burke said. 

w0rldwide eli finishes his sequel with the song, “How It Feel”, which consistently poses the respective question while a catchy guitar plays in the rear. The multi-genre artist leaves listeners with a brief acoustic guitar solo, possibly using this moment to reflect on the world he created throughout the project’s entirety. 

“The theme was centered around my life being like a movie. Right now we only have two parts to that movie (hint hint). I like to make music that people feel and can connect to,” Burke said. 

As more and more students around NC click on w0rldwide eli’s profile and check out the freshly released project, the artist looks towards the future and what it holds for him.

“My plans in the near future are to sign to a label or have an independent partnership deal with a label and then put all of my guys on. I’ll never leave my brothers behind and the entire No Top camp is gonna come right along and succeed with me,” Burke said. 

The Chant’s Grade: A-