Elesia Iimura and O.T are no strangers to creating music with purpose. As independent artists carving their own lane, they’ve crafted a track that not only moves listeners but also motivates them to push through life’s obstacles. Their latest release, “Prayed Up” featuring 50 Cent, is more than just a song—it’s a testament to resilience, belief, and the power of staying grounded.
In this exclusive interview, Elesia and O.T open up about the inspiration behind their empowering anthem, the collaborative energy with 50 Cent, and the meticulous creative process that brought the track to life. They also share a glimpse of what’s to come in 2025, including U.S. tours, media appearances, and some exciting behind-the-scenes projects in the works.
From the heartfelt message behind “Prayed Up” to their vision for elevating the music industry, Elesia and O.T are proving that their wave is here to stay. Let’s dive into what makes this duo tick and how they’re using their art to inspire others.
What inspired you to create ‘Prayed Up,’ and what does the song mean to each of you personally?
We created the song to have an empowering vibe which can motivate you no matter what your mood and no matter how many times you listen, the message just hits harder.
We say "This time we Staying Prayed Up" because prayer is an essential part of our lives and of manifesting. We like to speak things into existence as though they have already happened. And sure enough, they do happen.
We were inspired to create this Jam because of the obvious necessity right now for good music which carries a good message. We also wanted to encourage people to never let any road blocks, criticism, or self doubt throw you off your path. We were all destined to be great, it's just a matter of what you allow to infiltrate that can affect that.
How did the collaboration with 50 Cent come about?
We felt 50 was the perfect fit for the song & we were blessed that he wanted to jump on the record. He mentioned in person that he connected with the song, which is obviously shows in his verse. We love his line "Prayed Up stay praying for my enemies".
Forreal he delivered some of his most fire bars yet.
The song has a really motivational vibe—was that intentional from the start, and how do you see music influencing people’s mindset and life choices?
Yes, we always start our creative process with an intention. This song was written to push people out there to stay resilient through trying times. All the greats write about success being a byproduct of failure. You have to be willing to fail, to be criticized, to lose money and start over, and it's all a necessary learning in the long run.
If people can take this as a reminder to implement prayer into their daily lives, it can help maintain a very strong, connected and solid foundation coupled with belief in yourself.
We hope it influences people out there to know that if you keep pushing through the obstacles and never giving up, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
What was the creative process like for this track? How did each of you bring your own energy to it, and what was it like working in the studio with 50?
The way we write a lot of our records is by listening to the beat and going for a drive. There's something about being on the road where you're not thinking, instead things are just flowing, that really works for us. We often stop at a lookout with a view and the creative process just happens.
We basically then roll off each other. One person will come through with a melody, the other will continue on from that melody. Once we have the melody we start writing the lyrics in the same way. It's a very interactive process that happens quite uniquely and seamlessly between us.
From the writing, recording to the mixing and mastering we really wanted everything to sit right. Multiple verses were written by both of us then we agreed on the final verse selections. We also tried mixing this track with 3 different engineers before we were happy with the way it was sounding. The process was cool, but we are very particular about our sound. We know exactly what we want to hear. It's just about finding people who can conceptualise and produce results in line with that.
It was such an honour working with 50 in the studio. Just so ya'll know, he is even more lit in person! On a professional note, he really took his time to make sure everything was right and explained how he wanted to blend with us on the track. He took time to explain his lyrics and most importantly he really understood the message we wanted to put out through the music. We were humbled by his expertise.
There’s been a lot of talk about bot-generated streams on Spotify and how that affects real artists. How do you feel about that, especially as independent musicians who’ve been grinding for years?
Yes, it's such a shame this is disrupting the industry and it's not fair to the hardworking artists, but we don't let that affect our passion for creating and dropping good music for our fans.
You’ve mentioned plans to tour the U.S. and hit radio stations and podcasts in 2025. What’s the vision for this next chapter, and how do you see ‘Prayed Up’ setting the tone for what’s ahead?
We are working towards and manifesting a massive year for 2025, including BET awards, a Grammy nomination, a Billboard charting album, headlining shows, radio touring and a lot of meet and greets while on the road.
We are looking forward to Prayed Up becoming a global anthem and movement that motivates and inspires.
There’s a lot of buzz about ‘Prayed Up’ possibly being in a movie. Can you give us any details about that?
Although we cannot reveal the details yet, just know that some big things are in the works and you might just see us pop out in some movies next year.