By name, I’m assuming there’s a full, two handfuls of folks who’ve overlooked Holly Weerd’s material when we’ve posted it in the past. If the cosigns, in the form of appearances, from Bobby & Big Rube don’t convince you to listen, I’m sure nothing will. “Ordinary Day” is a Read the rest of this entry »

This will register with some, while going unnoticed by others. As for my house, we shall praise the new age ATLiens, Holly Weerd. Shoutouts to the Dope Boyz! for the materials. Read the rest of this entry »

Previously Posted — “Two Of A Kind…” – Holly Weerd & 7even:Thirty

Old heads beware because you’re about to feel a bit older…

ATLiens was a definitive album for my generation. For some, it may seem like yesterday that the album dropped, but it was 12 years ago. I was ten. There are a lot of cats, especially from the south, who were greatly influenced by the album. ATLiens paid homage to the things that make us southern (the drawl, the lac’s, the sould food) while breaking away from the musical barriers placed on southern acts.

And 3 Stacks was rockin’ fur sweater vests and polka dot zebra print pants.

That sort of individuality with one foot placed firmly in the southern lifestyle has led to a surge in rappers my age being totally left field with no inhibitions. Granted, this has led to a good bit of weird-for-weird’s sake cats coming with unnecessary technotronic sounds and an annoying 3000-influenced need to over-enunciate every syllable. All it takes though, is a little rummaging through the pretentiousness of some of these guys to really get to the artists that are taking risks and exploring the new limits of Hip-Hop.

Here are two entities making it happen:

Hollyweerd

These cats are from Atlanta, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they’ve listened to some Kast. What these guys have managed to do, though, is lace their tracks with some straight trunk rattling beats while allowing their lyrics to supply the craziness. Songs like “Be Different” and “Go Hard Or Go Home” use the standard 808 and heavy bass that can be found on a T.I. or Killer Mike track. However, the lyrical content provides a glance into the lives of misfits finding comfort in their chosen artform: “Having a dress game pitiful, original…Inside of me was an organism/ twisting turning, smoking burning/ listening, learning/ then I thought about it when I woke up this morning/ right around when time stood still when I was burning/ something kinda green.” Read the rest of this entry »