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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...
Deric Hollings
Nov 2, 20226 min read
4 views
0 comments
Luv(sic)
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, artist, fair use Nujabes and REBT During his lifetime, one of my favorite chillhop producers was Jun Seba,...
Deric Hollings
Oct 30, 202216 min read
19 views
0 comments
Yay
[DISCLAIMER] Yesterday, I listened to an episode of Lex Fridman’s podcast that featured Kanye West. While there were many topics worth...
Deric Hollings
Oct 25, 20229 min read
6 views
0 comments
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...
Deric Hollings
Oct 19, 202210 min read
5 views
0 comments
Wild Out
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Brief Background on LOX I recently had a conversation with someone concerning my approach to Rational...
Deric Hollings
Sep 16, 202240 min read
8 views
0 comments
Oki-woke, Pinoke
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use **Pinocchio spoiler alert** Background A fan of the 1940 Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) classic...
Deric Hollings
Sep 10, 202224 min read
12 views
0 comments
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...
Deric Hollings
Sep 3, 20227 min read
10 views
0 comments
Something's Missing
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use Earlier this morning, when performing so-called “toxic masculinity” behavior by challenging gravity...
Deric Hollings
Aug 29, 20225 min read
5 views
0 comments
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...
Deric Hollings
Aug 28, 20226 min read
5 views
0 comments
The Lowering Tide
[DISCLAIMER] An aphorism often misattributed to former President John F. Kennedy is, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” If true, simple...
Deric Hollings
Aug 27, 20229 min read
3 views
0 comments
My Ni
[DISCLAIMER] In his song entitled “The eND,” lyricist Torae, along with Shaquawna Shanté, addresses a topic I think is worth expanding...
Deric Hollings
Jul 12, 202214 min read
8 views
0 comments
Unconditional Acceptance
[DISCLAIMER] **Fire hip hop music contained in each linked “Let It Go” reference** Context One of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy...
Deric Hollings
Jul 11, 202218 min read
44 views
0 comments
Remembering Shadows
[DISCLAIMER] One of the elements I appreciate about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is that it “does not focus on the past.”...
Deric Hollings
Jul 7, 20226 min read
9 views
0 comments
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...
Deric Hollings
Jul 1, 20227 min read
24 views
0 comments
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...
Deric Hollings
Jun 30, 20229 min read
4 views
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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...
Deric Hollings
Jun 15, 20226 min read
9 views
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Stoically Existential
[DISCLAIMER] It’s relatively easy for me to highlight mental and behavioral health examples in rap. Rigid and extreme attitudes are...
Deric Hollings
May 28, 20225 min read
9 views
0 comments
Feel Some Type of Way
[DISCLAIMER] “I know you feel some type of way.” In 2013, rapper Rich Homie Quan released a song entitled “Type of Way” which reached...
Deric Hollings
May 25, 202214 min read
19 views
0 comments
Mind Tricks
[DISCLAIMER] One of my favorite lines from lyricist Buckshot, of rap group Black Moon, relates to the 1993 song “How Many MC’s…,” which...
Deric Hollings
May 19, 20226 min read
18 views
0 comments
Rap Made Me Do It
[DISCLAIMER] I recall that in the 90’s, hip hop—particularly “gangsta rap”—was accused of promoting violence within U.S. society. Blaming...
Deric Hollings
Apr 9, 202216 min read
7 views
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