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Deric Hollings
Apr 7, 202310 min read
Where Was Heaven?
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Where was heaven? Towards the end of my tour of duty while assigned to Okinawa, Japan in 1999, rap...
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Deric Hollings
Mar 4, 20235 min read
The Original Hip Hop Therapist
[DISCLAIMER] What KRS-One taught me Lyricist KRS-One, also known as Teacha and Blastmaster, was the preeminent hip hop influence in my...
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Deric Hollings
Feb 21, 20236 min read
Reincarnation
[DISCLAIMER] REBT reincarnation In AWAR’s song “Reincarnation,” featuring Trox and from The Winning Team album costarring Vanderslice,...
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Deric Hollings
Jan 27, 20237 min read
Book Covers
[DISCLAIMER] Book covers In 2015, lyricist Oddisee released an album entitled The Good Fight that featured a track called “Book Covers”...
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Deric Hollings
Nov 2, 20226 min read
The Formula
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use The D.O.C. One of my favorite members of N.W.A was The D.O.C., whose 1989 album No One Can Do It...
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Deric Hollings
Oct 30, 202216 min read
Luv(sic)
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, artist, fair use Nujabes and REBT During his lifetime, one of my favorite chillhop producers was Jun Seba,...
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Deric Hollings
Oct 25, 20229 min read
Yay
[DISCLAIMER] Yesterday, I listened to an episode of Lex Fridman’s podcast that featured Kanye West. While there were many topics worth...
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Deric Hollings
Oct 19, 202210 min read
It Ain't Easy
[DISCLAIMER] One of my favorite acts on the Rhymesayers Entertainment roster is Brother Ali. He’s not a rapper, he’s a lyricist. When...
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Deric Hollings
Sep 16, 202240 min read
Wild Out
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Brief Background on LOX I recently had a conversation with someone concerning my approach to Rational...
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Deric Hollings
Sep 10, 202224 min read
Oki-woke, Pinoke
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use **Pinocchio spoiler alert** Background A fan of the 1940 Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) classic...
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Deric Hollings
Sep 3, 20227 min read
You Gon' Die: The Existential Window
[DISCLAIMER] “The ‘therapeutic window’. What a delicious term for the interruption of medical treatment! Might you perhaps hurl yourself...
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Deric Hollings
Aug 29, 20225 min read
Something's Missing
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Earlier this morning, when performing so-called “toxic masculinity” behavior by challenging gravity...
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Deric Hollings
Aug 28, 20226 min read
Change Ur Beliefs
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Today’s gym time gem—a song heard when working out—interrupted my sweat-time flow and had me nodding...
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Deric Hollings
Aug 27, 20229 min read
The Lowering Tide
[DISCLAIMER] An aphorism often misattributed to former President John F. Kennedy is, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” If true, simple...
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Deric Hollings
Jul 12, 202214 min read
My Ni
[DISCLAIMER] In his song entitled “The eND,” lyricist Torae, along with Shaquawna Shanté, addresses a topic I think is worth expanding...
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Deric Hollings
Jul 11, 202218 min read
Unconditional Acceptance
[DISCLAIMER] **Fire hip hop music contained in each linked “Let It Go” reference** Context One of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy...
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Deric Hollings
Jul 7, 20226 min read
Remembering Shadows
[DISCLAIMER] One of the elements I appreciate about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is that it “does not focus on the past.”...
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Deric Hollings
Jul 1, 20227 min read
The Proverbial "They"
[DISCLAIMER] Admittedly, I was a little late subscribing to the Wu-Tang Clan fandom of the ‘90s. I was introduced to the group’s music in...
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Deric Hollings
Jun 30, 20229 min read
What the Future Holds
[DISCLAIMER] There are a number of rap groups—duos, trios, etc.—that are heavily intertwined with various periods of my life. One such...
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Deric Hollings
Jun 15, 20226 min read
I Have Moved On
[DISCLAIMER] Since my adolescence, I’ve paid close attention to quotes used in rap songs. Before the Internet was largely available to...
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