Meet Eli Capella | MC, Singer/Songwriter & Youth Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eli Capella and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eli, do you have a budget? how do you think about personal finances?
Yeah. I go by a zero-based budget and I have an emergency savings fund of (at minimum) $1,000 to (at maximum) 3 times my monthly expenses. My lifestyle decisions are based on three budgets: my diet, my money, and my time. These 3 forms of budgeting are vital to my physical, mental, financial, and spiritual well-being. I have a small studio apartment and I’m not making a six-figure income yet, but as a believer in Christ, I believe in being prepared to shoulder the weight of my future blessings. Therefore, I take care of my modest income, modest living space, and modest schedule as if I’m already the successful person I plan on being in five years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others? I’ll be honest, that question is always hard to answer because it’s not something that I’m very proud of. I’m not really that different from the average person around my way. I’d say what sets me apart is the opportunities that are presented to me. The opportunity to live another day in Philadelphia where we set records on a yearly basis for murders is what sets me apart. The chance to gain wisdom from elders, big brother figures, and OG’s while the incarceration for black males is at an all-time high is what sets me apart. And the encouragement of my community mixed with the grit & resilience of my city gives me the freedom to continue to live out my dreams. What I’m most proud of is the gifts that I’m stewarding to tell the stories of my life as well as those who have no voice in a way that makes crowds dance and listeners nod their heads. Creating the music is easy, it’s what happens after I leave the booth that’s challenging. Being able to use discipline to budget & save finances, go to the gym and eat right, curating a schedule along with goals so that I have a vision is vital to my success. It’s the only way that marketing budgets are funded, venues are booked and packed out and awareness is increased to the masses when my works are released. What I want the world to know is that my success isn’t attainable without God’s restoration to get me through hard times, provide me with real ones in my circle, and save me from circumstances where I have no control nor sovereignty to get through.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Philly has amazing places for my favorite things which are food, entertainment, and hip-hop culture. If you wanted to eat at an amazing black-owned restaurant where you could find healthy options I’d take my homie to Nourish in South Philly. If you wanted to hear some live musicians play some amazing music outside on street corners you’d definitely wanna be hip to Snack Time Philly. And if you need some late-night sophistication where you can drink, chill and enjoy some energetic entertainment with your date you’d wanna go to TIME Restaurant in Center City. And lastly, if you wanna know where the heavy-hitting Rappers, Singers and Bands are playing, you’d wanna keep an eye for installation series such as ‘The Leak’ & ‘Culture Soldiers.’

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give all love, gratitude, and appreciation to Jesus, (my Lord & Savior), love to my Father & Mother and my peers, mentors, mentees, and family unit as a whole

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elicapella9/

Twitter: @elicapella9

Facebook: Eli Capella

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izeysk7dVjU

Image Credits
1) @Sunysvision 2)@NikShotThis 3)@Serais.Eyes