ELIAS: From Hokkaido to Itoshima, PAIN and CRAZY BABY
ELIAS is a rapper from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, now based in Itoshima, Fukuoka. After working in Sapporo, he moved to Itoshima in 2016. His catalogue includes PAIN, COLD WORLD with MANTIS, and “CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO” with DJ MOTORA. His HIPHOPCs interview connects those records to the places he has lived and the people who shape his music.[1][2][4][6]
ELIAS at a glance
| Artist | ELIAS |
|---|---|
| Origin | Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Career locations | Sapporo; based in Itoshima, Fukuoka, since 2016 |
| Role | Rapper |
| Collaborators | MANTIS, DJ MOTORA, KAYO and Professor Ill Beats |
| Starting points | PAIN; COLD WORLD; “CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO” |
Location and career details come from the artist’s interview and the supplied biography published with it. Record credits are checked against release listings.[1][2][3][4][6]
Asahikawa, Sapporo and Itoshima
ELIAS’s route runs from Asahikawa through Sapporo to Itoshima. In an interview published by HIPHOPCs in September 2026, he said that ten years after moving to Itoshima he had recognised his love for all the places he had called home.[1]
He described people continuing to identify him with Sapporo and Asahikawa while others now called him an Itoshima rapper. To him, those expectations create responsibilities that return when he sits down to write. Keeping both his Hokkaido background and present Kyushu base in view makes his career easier to follow.[1]
PAIN and the collaboration with MANTIS
PAIN, released on August 26, 2011, provides an entry into his earlier work. The 13-track record includes production credits for Professor Ill Beats, Shirokuma, MICHITA and DJ PERRO a.k.a. DOGG. ELIAS also referred to it as his first album in the 2026 interview.[1][2][3]
COLD WORLD followed as a joint album with MANTIS on October 28, 2020. Apple Music lists 16 tracks in the digital edition. These releases offer a way to follow the same rapper through different production partnerships. He later released the single “Beautiful Life” on October 17, 2025.[4][5]
How CRAZY BABY began
“CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO,” credited to ELIAS and DJ MOTORA, was released on August 15, 2026. ELIAS told HIPHOPCs that he met MOTORA in 2025 and was listening through his collection of beats while they planned a collaboration. The beat came before the song’s theme.[1][6]
MOTORA said he had studied ELIAS’s vocal tone and flow before recording together. ELIAS, in turn, described finding images and emotions in MOTORA’s beats, with his delivery taking shape around that particular producer. Their account explains a collaboration built through listening to one another, rather than just the exchange of a backing track.[1]
Discussing the song’s treatment of war and peace, ELIAS emphasised responding through music instead of violence and considering what a song does for its listeners and community.[1]
KAYO’s hook and the value of a physical record
KAYO sings the hook on “CRAZY BABY.” ELIAS recalled hearing the hook in her voice while listening to the beat, then asking her to make a preliminary recording. He said her performance became the song’s axis and gave the verses greater meaning. KAYO also told HIPHOPCs that living in Itoshima helped make this collaboration possible.[1]
The supplied release information announced a limited run of 66 seven-inch records. In the interview, ELIAS described wanting to get records into the hands of DJs and people who love hip-hop, and to leave physical objects that could travel through time. The figure describes the announced edition, not current stock or availability.[1]
Projects discussed in the interview
In the interview published in September 2026, ELIAS said an album with DJ MOTORA was being prepared for the following year, and that a sequel to PAIN with Professor ill beat was in production. “The following year” means 2027 in that account. These remain plans described at the time of the interview, rather than confirmed release dates or completed records.[1]
Selected timeline
| August 26, 2011 | Releases his first album, PAIN.[1][2] |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Moves to Itoshima, Fukuoka, after working in Sapporo.[1] |
| October 28, 2020 | Releases COLD WORLD with MANTIS.[4] |
| 2025 | Meets DJ MOTORA, according to his interview; releases “Beautiful Life” on October 17.[1][5] |
| August 15, 2026 | Releases “CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO” with DJ MOTORA.[6] |
| September 26, 2026 | HIPHOPCs publishes the interview with ELIAS and his collaborators.[1] |
Where to start listening
- “CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO” — hear the production choices discussed in the interview.
- COLD WORLD — explore the partnership with MANTIS.
- PAIN — the early album behind the sequel he discussed.
HIPHOPCs interviews
Official information
Explore the regions and interviews
Sources and review date
Last checked: . Personal recollections, opinions and future plans are attributed to the interview; release details are checked against catalogue listings.
- HIPHOPCs: ELIAS × DJ MOTORA interview, published September 26, 2026 (Japanese)
- Apple Music: PAIN
- WENOD: ELIAS, PAIN — release information and production credits
- Apple Music: ELIAS × MANTIS, COLD WORLD
- Apple Music: Beautiful Life
- Apple Music: CRAZY BABY feat. KAYO
- ULTRA-VYBE: CRAZY BABY official listening links
Image source: ELIAS interview — HIPHOPCs. ELIAS. Photo supplied by the artist’s team.
