Washington, D.C.’s very own billy woods making his Rhymesayers Entertainment debut with his 13th studio LP. Whether you know him for teaming up with Elucid as the duo Armand Hammer or his own solo output like History Will Absolve Me & Dour Candy, there’s no denying that he’s been steadily holding it down for the abstract hip hop scene for a minute. 3 years following the Preservation-produced Aethiopes from top to bottom, Rhymesayers has brought him on board for GOLLIWOG.
“Jumpscare” produced by Steel Tipped Dove strips the drums to start us off likening himself to a rag doll playing dead whereas “Star87” turns up the psychedelic vibes thanks to Conductor Williams talking about his phone ringing off the hook tryna find the bodies he hid. “Misery” heavily bases itself around the 1990 film of the same name conceptually with Kenny Segal reuniting behind the boards for him just before “BLK XMAS” featuring Brusier Wolf might hurt R.A.P. Ferreira’s feelings since Sadhugold was involved due to the ongoing beef.
Meanwhile on “Waterproof Mascara”, we have Preservation & Billy throwing it back to the Aethiopes days leading into “Counterclockwise” linking up with one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist for my favorite song here airing out a serpent moving in the opposite direction of him. “Corinthians” featuring Despot brings the pair together to spit streams of consciousness over an El-P beat, but then “Pitchforks & Halos” finds himself where all the time has gone & idiots thinking he was simply rhyming at the last second,
“All These Worlds Are Yours” by Armand Hammer turns up the abstract lyrics over a DJ Haram instrumental while “Maquiladoras” featuring al.divino gets the 2nd half of Golliwog going talking about time always being on their side. “A Doll Fulla Pins” featuring Yolanda Watson likening herself to a doll with a bunch of pins in it while “Golgotha” keeps Messiah Musik in the fold reflecting on a woman he once loved now coming to terms that it was only a fling looking back at it.
Ant from Atmosphere brings a piano-heavy flare to “Cold Sweat” pokes fun at the Pistons picking Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh & Dwyane Wade until the conscious lyricism continues during “BLK ZMBY” explaining it’s because of him being very experienced in there being not that many things he doesn’t know from what he understands. “Make No Mistake” hides everything in the rhymes hence why everything needs to be dark when he’s on stage while “Born Alone” breaks down feeling lonely throughout life
The last 2 songs on billy’s official Rhymesayers debut Golliwog are both performed by Armand Hammer using “Lead Paint Test” featuring Cavalier using their childhood homes as a representation of a space haunted by the past & “Dislocated” finishes up the album with both members without any other guest talking about trying to not be found or simply going off the radar completely.
A haunting collection that weaves horror, humor, surrealism & Afropessimism into a cinematic tapestry aided & abetted by a murderer’s row of producers, Golliwog includes African zombies, time traveling trap cars, malevolent ragdolls and a dying Frantz Fanon as only a few of the revelers in his danse macabre. It marks another triumph in the woods oeuvre since it’s as layered & compelling as anything he has ever done portraying images of a black carnival pitched in a muddy field overnight leaving empty rides whirring & clattering in the dark.
Score: 9/10
