After a huge 2023 and a slightly quieter 2024, prolific NYC rapper billy woods is back with another album. GOLLIWOG is out May 9 through the artist's own Backwoodz Studioz, and the single "Misery" is out now as woods prepares to hit the road.
A press release points to influences including MF DOOM, Toni Morrison and sci-fi/horror authors like Ray Bradbury. The rapper said in a statement, "When I was nine years old I wrote a story about an evil golliwog. My mother read it and told me it was overly derivative and needed some work. Here we are."
Featured guests include ELUCID, Cavalier, Bruiser Wolf, Despot, al.divino and Yolanda Watson. Contributing producers are the Alchemist, Kenny Segal, EL-P, Conductor Williams, Preservation, Messiah Musik, Sadhugold, Ant (of Atmosphere), Shabaka Hutchings, Steel Tipped Dove, DJ Haram, Willie Green, Jeff Markey, Saint Abdullah and Human Error Club.
Returning collaborator Kenny Segel produced lead single "Misery." Check that out below, along with the GOLLIWOG tracklist and woods's tour schedule. The tour runs from the spring all the way into the fall, including a Toronto show on November 9.
GOLLIWOG:
1. Jumpscare
2. STAR87
3. Misery
4. BLK XMAS (feat. Bruiser Wolf)
5. Waterproof Mascara
6. Counterclockwise
7. Corinthians (feat. Despot)
8. Pitchforks & Halos
9. All These Worlds Are Yours (feat. ELUCID)
10. Maquiladoras (feat. al.divino)
11. A Doll Fulla Pins (feat. Yolanda Watson)
12. Golgotha
13. Cold Sweat
14. BLK ZMBY
15. Make No Mistake
16. Born Alone
17. Lead Paint Test (feat. ELUCID, Cavalier)
19. Dislocated (feat. ELUCID)
billy woods 2025 Tour Dates:
03/12 Austin, TX - SXSW
03/14 Austin, TX - SXSW
03/15 Austin, TX - SXSW
04/03 Edinburgh, UK - La Belle Angele
04/05 The Hague, Netherlands - Rewire Festival
05/03 Vienna, Austria - Donau Fest
05/28 Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5
05/29 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
05/31 Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
06/01 San Francisco, CA - Neck Of The Woods
06/02 Seattle, WA - Madame Lou's
06/03 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
06/05 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
06/06 Austin, TX - The Ballroom
06/07 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
06/25 Asheville, NC - Eulogy
06/27 Orlando, FL - The Abbey
06/28 Tampa, FL - The Crowbar
06/29 Nashville, TN - Third Man
09/16 Easthampton, MA - Daily Op
09/17 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
09/18 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
09/19 Washington, D.C. - Union Stage
09/25 NYC, NY - Knockdown Center
10/03 Dublin, Ireland - Opium
10/04 Glasgow, UK - St. Luke's
10/06 Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall
10/07 Bristol, UK - Strange Brew
10/08 Cardiff, UK - The Globe
10/09 London, UK - Scala
10/14 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
11/09 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
11/11 Detroit, MI - The Loving Touch
11/13 Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
11/14 Madison, WI - High Noon
11/15 Milwaukee, WI - Vivarium
11/17 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry