For Lithuanian-born rapper Lil Ellz, music began as a way to manage his own mental health, and has become a way to help others do the same.
Working across trap and melodic rap, he approaches songwriting as an outlet for reflection, honesty, and empathy. Lil Ellz’s breakout single “No Denim” has surpassed 12,000 streams on Spotify, marking a key step in his growing catalogue. Now preparing to release his next project, Love Notes & Lullabies, Lil Ellz turns his attention to the complexities of love: its highs, its challenges, and the self-reflection it brings. Influenced by artists such as Juice WRLD, Polo G, and Travis Scott, he channels emotion into sound with clarity and intention. In this MN2S Q&A, Lil Ellz discusses the inspiration behind his work, the evolution of his sound, and his commitment to helping others through music.
Your music often touches on emotional themes. What inspired you to use your music as a way to help people with their mental health?
Well I’ve always wanted to help people ever since I was young, and unfortunately I’ve always struggled with mental health too. My own experiences through that is what allows me to make music that touch on those themes. My relationship with God also inspires me to help as many people get through their problems as possible.
Your upcoming project “Love Notes & Lullabies” focuses heavily on love. How do you hope this project will connect with listeners on an emotional level?
Everyone has had some experience with love and everyone wants to find love. The subject of love is a very relatable one. I hope LN&L can help people see what feelings love can make them feel. It’s also very honest and touches on the challenges of love too. I’ve been in a relationship with my girlfriend for 3 years and every song I make about her comes straight from the heart.
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Hip-Hop can cover many moods and styles. How do you decide when to make a song more uplifting versus more introspective?
When I sit down to work on music, I don’t consciously decide what type of song I’ll make. It normally just comes out. When writing, I’ll pull up a beat and freestyle to it while jot down the parts I like best. Sometimes I’ll also just decide to freestyle the whole song, without an idea of what I’ll rap about beforehand.
Your influences include Juice WRLD, Travis Scott, and Polo G. How have they shaped the way you approach creating music that resonates with people emotionally?
Juice WRLD (RIP) and Polo G make very raw melodic songs. They’ve always put a lot of emotion behind every song. Listening to their music over the years has had a huge impact on me, and made me want to convey my emotions through catchy songs too. On the other hand Travis Scott’s music is much darker. However he still proceeds to add a lot of vulnerability to his songs. I’ve recently been making a lot more darker songs with sadder themes through inspiration from Travis.
Your song “No Denim” has gained significant traction. Did the reception of that track influence how you approach music that helps people?
Although my music still has a long way to go in terms of numbers, I’m happy “No Denim” has done well. For an old song to be released a year after being made, it did better than I expected. But no, the reception of No Denim didn’t change the way I approach creating music. It just reinforced the way I was already approaching music.
Can you tell us about your most recent release and the message or emotions you aimed to convey through it?
My most recent release is “Pick Up My Pieces”. I talk a lot about perseverance and moving forward when things get tough. No matter how sad you get, you can always keep going until things get better for you. Finding ways to manage sadness as it comes is vital. This song marked an important moment in my life when I made it. That’s when I realised I wanted to make music for the rest of my life. Since then my passion has only increased and there’s nothing I love doing more than recording a new song.
When writing music about personal struggles or love, how do you balance your own vulnerability with what you think your listeners need?
That’s a good question and if I’m being completely honest, I don’t think about it much. Whenever I make songs about love or not, I always keep it as raw as I can from my own emotions. If I’m vulnerable in a song, then I’m vulnerable. I believe that’s the best way for listeners to hear it. So that they know it’s 100% me.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for using music to make a positive impact on mental health and your fans’ lives?
As my career progresses, I will constantly be in a better position to help people with their mental health whether it’s through my music or through events. The more listeners I have, the more I’ll be able to help.