STORIES and SUBJECT MATTER. You will not often find a song by Hemlok Holmes that is without purpose. He aims to entertain with tall tales about desire, adventure, loss, relationships, and philosophy. Each story represents a piece of Hemlok’s beliefs about life. Focused on Buddhism as a spiritual path to enlightenment, Hemlok weaves ideas produced by efforts of his search throughout his fables. At a glance, his debut album, Siddhartha’s Heart’s Beating, is a collection of fantastic accounts describing hitchhiking campaigns, high noon stand offs, street ball drama, and failed romance to name a few. Initially, the lyrics entertain the listener as a novelty. Immediately following the introduction there is a need to “find out what happens next.” But listen more closely and you will develop a sense of how Hemlok feels he should try to live, what perspectives he chooses, and how he perceives the consequences of his actions. Eric (Hemlok) Holmes was born in Fairbanks, Alaska and shortly afterward migrated east to New Jersey. From the age of 7 and the days of Breakin!, hip hop became his primary driving force. It provided the artist with imaginative descriptions about city life in all areas of the country and exposed him to unique ideas. After high school he furthered his education in New Orleans, letting its history and culture marinate his psyche. Beyond every local holiday, condemned building, parade, or ethnic ghetto Hemlok saw a story. Not surprisingly, he claims Slick Rick, Jeru the Damaja, and Gang Starr as his biggest influences for their ability to create a narrative. In his own words, “My primary goal is to entertain the listener. Next, I want to them to think and challenge my ideas. There’s a lot of philosophy intertwined throughout these songs and I want them to consider it. If you don’t like it, cool, but what would you do instead? How do you live? Has your outlook taken you in the right directions?” It may seem like a tall order in a society that has been fed catchy hooks and recycled themes but Hemlok remains positive. “I think the people that will truly connect with my songs are open minded, you know, willing to consider alternative viewpoints. But, if you think that I’m off on my own, you still got funny story to follow so it’s there on different levels y’heard?”