There are artists who have cult followings, and then there is
2hollis.
The underground rapper-slash-producer has been quietly gaining traction since he started self-releasing albums in 2022, but since inking a deal with Interscope and dropping his major label debut '
star' this year, he's gone stratospheric. At the end of a year that's been undoubtedly massive, 2hollis wraps up the European leg of the 'star' tour with a sold-out show at Brixton Academy.
So here we are, outside the venue approximately an hour before he's due on stage, and the queue is still wrapped around the block. Most fans don a black Adam-Ant-esque stripe across their nose and cheekbones in line with Hollis' current stage makeup, odd ones wear a long blonde wig to match his 'do too.
Inside, excitement reaches fever pitch when the one set adornment - a giant inflatable white tiger - is revealed. Obviously, it's nothing compared to when 2hollis arrives. Bounding on stage to '
flash', looking like a very high fashion wizard in his Alexander McQueen cape, the track's chorus refrain of "Holli wanna be a star" feels less like a mission statement and more like a prophecy fulfilled in the months since its release.
The show comes to a halt (for the first time) after things get too rowdy during the unreleased '
DOGS', and he leaves the stage while, erm, rain sounds play, presumably to calm things down a bit. This happens several times throughout the night, and each time Hollis returns, he's wearing less and less clothing until he's down to just his jeans. When you've got a set this rammed full of favourites, though, chill vibes weren't to be expected.
And it is back-to-back hits, too, with no let-up on the energy as he rattles through signature bangers like '
trauma', '
poster boy' and '
two bad' in the first half. Although 2hollis has made his name as a producer as much as a performer, his knack for crafting a massive beat really shines through when they're lasered up and blasted out in Brixton's huge hall.
