Hemlock Ernst
Gravelly, introspective rap that feels like a late-night conversation in a dimly lit bar. Soulful boom-bap for the thinkers and the heavy-hearted.
Gravelly, introspective rap that feels like a late-night conversation in a dimly lit bar. Soulful boom-bap for the thinkers and the heavy-hearted.
Hemlock Ernst sounds like the secret diary of a man who has seen the world from a tour bus but still feels every inch of the pavement. The music is anchored by a thick, gravelly baritone that carries the weight of lived experience, delivered over production that favors dusty jazz loops and warm, crackling vinyl samples. It is hip-hop that prioritizes emotional honesty over bravado, creating a space that feels both intimate and expansive.
What makes this project distinctive is the sheer vulnerability of the performance. While many rappers use their voice as a weapon, Samuel Herring uses his as a confession. The flow is deliberate and rhythmic, often leaning into the natural rasp of his vocal cords to emphasize a point. It shares more DNA with the abstract, soul-searching underground of the 2010s than the high-energy synth-pop he is known for elsewhere, offering a gritty, grounded counterpoint to his more theatrical work.
Start with 'Back at the House', his collaboration with producer Kenny Segal. It is the definitive statement of the Hemlock Ernst sound, where the production perfectly mirrors the weary, wise, and deeply human perspective of the lyrics. It is the ideal entry point for anyone who loves hip-hop that feels like a long, honest exhale.
Samuel Thompson Herring (born April 13, 1984), also known as Hemlock Ernst, is an American singer, rapper and actor based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known as the frontman of the synth-pop band Future Islands, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums. He has also previously been a member of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, The Snails, and Trouble Knows Me. In 2023, Herring starred in the Apple TV horror fantasy television series, The Changeling, alongside LaKeith Stanfield and Adina Porter.
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares contemplative, wistful, vulnerable (moods); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, minimalist (production style)
Shares dusty, conscious hip-hop, abstract hip-hop, boom bap (signature)
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