the spotlight on hollywood floss is now archived. please hit the sidebar to get a hold of that page.

We haven’t been doing many new spotlights for whatever reason, but here’s our second in as many months, just because we feel like it. This time around, it’s for local emcee/producer Hollywood Floss, and I’m hoping to put him on to a whole new batch of people. He’s been hustlin’ in H-town for a long time now, from promoting himself on twitter and facebook toplaying local shows and festivals to putting out music constantly. His brand new LP, House of Dreams, has hit iTunes in July and he has no signs of slowing down. He recently put out The Xperiment Vol. II, a mixtape whose sheer concept shatters the boundaries of music as we know it. We’ll get into that a bit later, but sit back and do a catch-up with the man himself, then download the album sampler and the mixtape and start making Floss a staple on the iPod.

Roshan Bhatt, weworemasks: How’s it going man? First off, what is your purpose with Hollywood FLOSS? As in, what would your biggest aspirations entail during your time in the music industry?

Hollywood Floss: First, thanks for the opportunity. Everything is going as well as expected, and I truly believe you get what you put into this game. I’m here to work hard and show fans and critics alike that my music isn’t something you should be sleeping on! As Hollywood FLOSS, my purpose is to let the world know about me through my music, but also it is important to me to be as creative and original, while giving people hope that good music still exists at the end of the day. I take pride in my product, something that other artists should do as well.

WWM: To say you’ve been busy lately is definitely an understatement. Let’s talk about House of Dreams first. Since this is a retail LP, how differently was your approach when recording an official LP versus mixtape cuts?

HF: My single mission when it came to the LP was to make a cohesive project and display my song-making ability, including the idea, hooks, verses, production. I think albums should always show growth and be well-put together. Whereas on my mixtapes, I’m trying to give you new material, but out rap you! The mixtapes aren’t really cohesive, but more or less random fun songs to cater to that crowd.

WWM: How does it feel to finally have an LP with your name on it out and in retail?

HF: It honestly just feels great! I can’t even believe its my album sometimes. You wait and wait as an artist to get that first project out and when it finally comes out, words cant describe how you feel. I put so much sweat and tears into the project, I pray that people appreciate where I was trying to take my music.

WWM: How has the reception for the record been? I personally think you did a great job of capturing your overall sound for a marketable product that new and old fans would enjoy, and it’s definitely showing up in our rotations.

HF: Thanks, I appreciate it. I honestly have received nothing but praise for the album, and you can’t beat that feeling as an artist. For those who have listened, each time, they pick up on something new. And that definitely was my intention with the project; to give fans an experience, not just a fast-paced CD, something that they would forget about after one spin.

WWM: You mention this in your songs every once in a while, but you’re not the average Houston emcee. What have you set out to do to intentionally set yourself apart from your peers, whether it be rappers like Bun B, Devin the Dude, Slim Thug, etc.

HF: First off, I respect each and every Houston mainstream artist before me. I realize that without them, there is no me. But to answer the question, I have to be me and set myself apart. Because if I copy, then why listen to me? Copying someone else is being the worst me I can be. I’m not here to be the best number 2 or 3, I’m here to be the best number 1. I’m gonna give you great lyrics, stories, punchlines, beats, and overall good music, and not rehash what’s already out there.

WWM: I guess as a part B, knowing that you’re a bit younger than these rappers and seeing their careers grow while you were still in high school, were you at all inspired by any of that genre of hip-hop?

HF: Most definitely! I’d be a liar if i said i wasn’t. But with me, it’s all about growth, if we are putting out the same thing we were doing 10-12 years ago, then we’re destined to fail. I embrace the future, and that’s why I feel I will have a great music career. Who doesn’t remember hearing Slim Thug’s ‘Peep Tha Picture’ or Devin’s classic song ‘Lacville 79’? Any music you listen to will and should shape you as an artist. You can really learn how to market and make music from studying your past and embracing what’s next.

WWM: Let’s move on to the Xperiment mixtape. Even though this is the second volume, the first one was much more exclusive as far as who released it goes. This time, you opened the doors for several different blogs (including ours) and I gotta say that it was cool to see so many versions of the tape out. How’d you come up with this concept and why do you think more people haven’t thought of this yet?

HF: This concept dates back to 2008. I was interested in marketing my music, but also into receiving instant feedback. So I set out to find a way to spread my music and have fans/blogs be apart of it as well. With the Xperiment series, it is easy to spread the music and also get instant feedback to which tracks the audience is feeling because you see it once the songs are picked and posted. Also, you see fans and blogs really appreciate being apart of the content they will eventually have to post. I understand blogs hate having to put up the same content, so why not help them customize what their fans will like and also help them, help people like me in gaining NEW fans. So it’s a win-win situation. I actually think this is something that will help labels survive in the future, but I don’t know why more artists don’t try it. Radiohead tried something similar to it, and it worked, so it is just a matter of time before everyone else jumps on board. Hopefully they recognized who paved the way! [Laughs]

WWM: Who do you feel captured the best overall sound with their mixtape? I mean, excluding ours, because it’s perfect. [Laughs]

HF: See, that’s the spirit! I love how you embraced yours. And you don’t have to fake liking what I pre-packaged up for you to post and that’s what the Xperiments are all about! I honestly enjoyed mine the best…besides weworemasks,’ of course! [Laughs]

WWM: You seem to have a lot more creative control over your projects, especially since you produce a lot of your own music. In terms of the writing process, what is the first priority? Producing or writing?

HF: My creative process varies project to project. With XP2 I was focused on lyrics first, then crafting a perfect beat to go around the lyrics. I’m always challenging myself to create a song a different way than the last because you never know what pressures you will be under to create a song, so why not practice for future situations?

WWM: I know you’ve done some beats for Fat Tony in the past, have you ever thought about making beats for other artists? Aside from that, who are a few of the artists you would like to produce for?

HF: Yes, the Fat Tony beats — I produced for him, and it just felt right to pass them to him. Honestly they might have been meant for me, but if it fits someone else style better, then I gotta be able to recognize that and let him rock those beats – which he did – and greater success came because of that. As far as producing for others, it’s most likely that I will, but I’m focused on my career at the moment. But I’d love to produce some tracks for Paul Wall, Clipse, Jay-Z, and Big Sean, just to name a few.

WWM: Chris Rockaway also works with you fairly frequently. What’s the story behind your work relationship with him? I guess this would be where you put him on for a bit.

HF: Chris Rockaway is a genius! He really knows how to capture a sound, depending on your voice and your vision of the track. I work with Rockaway because I know he cares about the final product just as much, if not more, than I do. He refuses to put his name on anything that is sub-par, and I really admire him for that. He just doesn’t work with you because you’re famous or the hot trend; he listens and really helps make adjustments to get a great sound out of you. The real definition of what a producer should be doing, not just handing you a two-track and letting you rap over it.

WWM: What’s in store for Floss throughout the rest of 2010? You thinking about touring any time soon?

HF: For the rest of 2010, I’m already back in the lab working on the next project, and I’m definitely planning to shoot more videos! As far a tour – not quite yet. I am, however, planning spot dates: Sept. 3rd I’ll be in Austin [ed note: take notes, Austinites!], Sept. 24th is my album release party [ed note: we’ll be there to party with you], and on Oct. 7-9th, I will be in Atlanta for the A3C festival.

WWM: That’s great, man. That’s about it for us, any last words for the readers of weworemasks.com?

HF: Yeah, HOLLYWOODFLOSS DOT COM is the new site and you can get all the info that you need about me there. Please follow me on Twitter @HollywoodFLOSS & buy my album, which is out now on itunes. “House of Dreams” by Hollywood FLOSS. And thank you weworemasks!

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hollywood floss is also allowing us to put together a sampler for his album, house of dreams, which you need to buy immediately. in the meantime, grab this sampler if you STILL aren’t sold yet.

tracklisting:

1. when the world’s against you (dream killer)
2. she said…
3. extra sleep 1

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[DOWNLOAD]

the xperiment volume II: presented by weworemasks.com

1. Get Up (Intro) – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS & Chris Rockaway
2. I’m Back – Produced by Chris Rockaway
3. Courtroom – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS
4. Being Great – Produced by Chris Rockaway
5. Mildness Humor Spoof f. Kidd The Great – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS
6. Go On – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS
7. Who You Know – Produced by Chris Rockaway
8. Just My Thoughts – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS
9. Higher – Produced by Hollywood FLOSS & Chris Rockaway
10. Life Happens – Produced by Chris Rockaway

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lastly, here’s how to get in touch with hollywood FLOSS:

visit his website for all the latest when it comes to floss shows and media.

buy house of dreams.

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-grizzly