T
he first thing Holly Weerd wants you to know is that they ain’t hipsters. The second thing is that even though their music has no boundaries, at the end of the day, they’re just four very down-to-earth dudes.
From the moment they sprung virtually out of nowhere onto Atlanta’s other-ground scene with their catchy single “Weerdo,” people have been trying to label them and their sound. So far, it really hasn’t worked. “The try to categorize us,” shrugs Dreamer, who had already made a name for himself among Hip Hop circles as a solo artist before joining Holly Weerd. “We just try to make good music. It’s just people trying to figure it out, and I feel them, but I mean…” He trails off as the other members— tattooist and former solo artist, Tuki, Jaspect’s saxophonist, Stago-Lee and the Love Crusader—nod in agreement. Not that they are really tripping off of people’s preconceived notions of what Hip Hop is and should be. In the short ten months since they founded the group, they’ve already been approached by several labels, including Star Trak, Warner Brothers, Interscope and J Records.
“We already had a following of people,” Tuki says, alluding to the performances he and Dreamer regularly did and the popular tattoo shop he owns. “Everybody comes [to the shop] so all of that just helps out.” Now co-managed by Young Jeezy’s manager, Coach K, so far Holly Weerd hasn’t found an offer that appeals to their good business sense. “Right now we’re working on building a strong fan base, because those are the people that are gonna buy our record,” Dreamer says. “We do need a machine, but the focus now is to get as many fans as possible so that when we do sign, it’ll be on our terms” Their current project, Edible Phat, continues with the same outside-of-thebox synergy that they created with their first release, Color Blind Cognac, which featured production from 9th Wonder. They say that they are just sonically preparing listeners for their full-length debut. “Holly Weerd can be a time capsule for what’s going on in this time period, with politics and the economy,” Stag-o Lee says. The Dreamer agrees. “Obama is about to be president, and hopefully that should give everyone a reason to branch out musically and everything else, with their lifestyle,” he reasons. “And hopefully this music can support that.” Words by Jacinta Howard Photo by J Huff
Paatiietinntlgy W
OZONE MAG // 69