The Massachusetts born thrasher Hilson Hollywood festers over the fakeness of social media and its associated trepidation on "Yuck."
Here, the now L.A. Based rapper projects a defining image in the shout-rap tradition more often than he does in the contemporary emcee one; his voice stabs through the track with an intense demeanor and bays with saturated crispiness as he croons over rip-offs and fakes online.
Over a meter that rolls stead on the hi-hats and punches readily like Muhammad Ali, Hilson Hollywood announces his refuting judgments on these individuals in a concise manner. Each time he chants, "You look like yuck, oh damn, yoo what's up? I think I had enough," it manifests like an anthem and demands a callback as his adlibs distribute the potency in his view across the edges of the mix.
You can almost feel the intensity of his words as they leave his lips and the dynamic levels of rogue fulminations that peel back to reveal the multiple dimensions of his temper. He's perplexed by what he has seen online and conjures menacing rhetoric—creating a road map from our phalanges to our scalps, preparing us for the next chorus's imminent rush.
On this track, Hollywood feels like he is under the guise of a rapper, but honestly, he functions more like a mechanism of brutal candor on this track—uttering devastating cuts to the "monsters," "fraudulent bodies," and "quarters" that he points his lyrical weapons at.
Listen to "Yuck" here.
Hello Hilson and welcome to BuzzMusic. Can you tell us more about how this track manifested itself as your debut single, and what prompted its intensity?
My personality is big and bold and it manifests within my music. I like metaphors and catchy punches which is why “Yuck” was the perfect debut track from this project. A bit funny and full of aggression it serves as the more dominant and confident side of my personality.
How do you feel you've developed your own sound and character through the inspirations like Lauren Hill and some of the R&B's classics you've mentioned?
My style developed by taking my vocal training and fusing it with my passion for hip hop, developing a more melodic r&b approach to my aggressive rap style. The aggression is much more of my personality shining through my performance but my affinity for harmonies and dancing from word to word was inspired by artists who I listened to growing up such as Lauryn Hill and Mary J Blige.
If you could choose anyone out of the modern music scene to collaborate with, who would you want to do it with?
I would love to collaborate with Doja Cat one day. I love her ability to spit hard and keep the element of fun while creating beautiful melodies that are more pop-leaning. I find us similar in our versatility and our level of involvement in all aspects of the creation. Our collab would be epic, sexy, funny, and in your face.
What influences the type of music you enjoy producing, and can we expect more of that on the upcoming Extended Play this September?
I continue to be inspired by the world around me. I write and produce every song through my personal experiences and the lives of those close to me. The EP coming in September is loud, aggressive, and dark because it mirrors the experiences of my life at the moment we were approaching the project. Expect a similar vibe and level of intensity on each track showcasing different stories about my experiences since moving to LA.
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020? What can we expect to see next from you?
Truly 2020 has been a challenging year in every aspect and my defense mechanism has been to channel my energy into music. I find that our struggles and our need for support have inspired me to find the strength to stand up and speak out for black lives and the LGBT community not just through my music but on the front lines where it equally matters.