Features : Debut album from Hollowed B. shows he has The Juice

What started as a passion and a hobby in high school has blossomed into a career for Stephen Easley, better known as East Coast hip hop artist Hollowed B.

Now he’s set to release his first full length album, The Juice, which drops on July 1. Featuring 22 tracks, the project is a story of perseverance and overcoming the ups and downs in life – the Juice being that drive and will to be successful.

“I want to leave a legacy rather than just do something I enjoy,” Hollowed B. says.

His passion for music actually started as a passion for poetry, but when Hollowed B. got the chance to open up for Twista as a teenager in Buffalo, New York, he knew music was the path for him.

“Once I had a taste of it I was hooked,” he says. “I caught the bug. Nobody gives you a blueprint for how to do this, what steps you should take. If there is one I didn’t have it. I had to fumble around until I found something that would work.”

He started releasing singles on streaming platforms like Spotify in 2020 and has since put out more than a dozen songs featuring his ambitious take on hip hop and a smooth R&B style. Hollowed B.’s sound features elements that will be familiar to fans of artists like Tech N9ne, Pop Smoke, DMX, Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G. and Ludacris.

“On the song ‘K.O.’ which is track 20 on the album I take my speed to a whole different level,” he says. “I may have surpassed Twista on the level of speed in the third verse. On ‘I Need Money,’ the first track, I showcase my storytelling ability where I can pull you into a story and make you feel the emotion and pain and struggle and follow the story like you’re actually living it. That’s where the Tupac element comes in. I’ve got catchiness like Pop Smoke, it’s something people can dance to and move to. It’s got a roughness to it like DMX and it’s got the abstractness of Ludacris where you never necessarily know how each verse is going to go, you just know it’s going to be fire.”

The album opens with “I Need Money,” which Hollowed B. says is the most controversial song of the project. It tells a story of how people easily get into trouble and mess up their lives. “Walker” comes later and is a confident song about feeling like your best. “I Got the Juice” is about a nothing’s-going-to-stop-me attitude. Other songs are about being tested, and then the album ends with “RumSpringer,” which Hollowed B. describes as the party to end all parties.

“It’s pretty much the rainbow after the storm to let you know everything is good,” he says. “No matter what there will always be another chance.”

Hollowed B. will feature his R&B music on another future project, but says he’d rather just write R&B songs.

“I’ve got notebooks full,” he says. “My R&B voice is good but I know those people are great.”

The Juice is currently available for presale on iTunes at http://music.apple.com/us/album/the-juice/1626416030. The presale version includes access to unreleased songs and autograph artwork hand drawn by Hollowed B. The original copy of the album will also be raffled off as part of the presale.

Make sure to stay connected to Hollowed B. on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

YouTube