Josh Sallee | “Hollywood Hoax”
Prompted by an eloquent piano chord, Josh Sallee‘s “Hollywood Hoax” forewarns the creative dreamers out there about the city’s unrealistic nature of becoming famous. The rapper does so by taking admiration from his own experiences. Sonically, “Hollywood Hoax” pairs dark jazz and hip-hop arrangements with a heavy bassline. In essence, the lyrics prove why getting caught in the glitz and glam can be someone’s downfall.
On “Hollywood Hoax,” he raps about traveling to California with a dollar and a dream. But unfortunately, his journey in the sunny state started rough. It made him more unsure about what would happen in the future.
Using a smooth, flux flow, he spits, “I was out in California/Close to goals like header/Riding round in rentals/I was out there’re on some business with no money to my name in the middle of November/I was trying to deliver/Shit was slowing up.”
He also raps, “I was calling out to my angels/Why aint nothing happened yet?/I’m anxious/Riding in the car bumping nothing but me and thoughts.”
The chorus brings Hollywood’s facade to light, especially when Sallee raps, “Hollywood hoax/Everyone dreams/room full snakes/That’s Hollywood things.”
Once the second verse comes in, the elite lyricist expresses how the city transforms people’s attitudes, values, etc. A new resident will have to work against the grain to make things happen. Elsewhere, he references a time when he was “faced with a task of success coming fast.” Eventually, the emcee realized that these powerful beings kept driving a hard bargain. In the end, he chose himself, saying
“Had to give my soul to em and started winning off of singles like I’m Joe Morgan/ I was callings out to my angels/I was down bad feelings anxious.”
Moreover, he concludes, “Maybe I just wanna be strangers/And maybe I don’t wanna be famous.”
As a whole, “Hollywood Hoax” shows others that everything isn’t what it seems. The only way to become successful is by taking control of your destiny.