Elji Beatzkilla

Real name Joel Évora, singer, rapper and producer Elji Beatzkilla was born in Praia, Cape Verde, and grew up in Nice, before moving to the United States. He began performing as a dancer, then turned to African music and rap, borrowing from a wide variety of styles, from R&B to zouk. By 2014, he had established his reputation in kizomba with the track "Dança Kizomba (Revolution)", sung in Cape Verdean Creole. Following the release of his debut album Raça Mau, he collaborated with French singer Lylah from the group Les Déesses in 2015 and Cape Verdean rapper Petcha in 2016. In 2018, his label Raçau Entertainement released the album Milligan, a further testament to his musical diversity. Numerous singles followed, culminating in his acclaimed collaboration with June Freedom on "YSL" (2021), a duet that charted three years later on Billboard's Afrobeats chart.