In the quaint town of Marion, North Carolina, a star was born on August 18, 1986. Best known for his stage name, Hollywood Turk, the artist has carved quite a name for himself in the music industry, making him one of the most captivating artists of his generation.
Hollywood Turk was raised in Forest City, North Carolina, a small city of only 65,000 people. His parents brought him up in a Christian environment, cementing the early foundations of his values and faith. Hollywood described their city to lack job opportunities, manifested through their high unemployment rate. Despite the slowness of the life in his city, the artist had a dream to venture outside his comfort zone and take the country by storm with his music.
At 12 years old, Hollywood Turk was inspired by 2Pac, one of the biggest names in the music scene, and motivated him to rap. Since then, his freestyling journey began. Hollywood produced his first track in 2009, but admitted that it was not as good as he expected. Still, the rapper kept trying and made another track with his cousin, K Slay. At his second try, the track “came out fire.”
In 2010, Hollywood Turk took a leap of faith and moved to California with $250 in his pocket with his long-time friend TJ. “We slept on his parents couch for over a year then we found our way,” the artist recalled. As he began exploring Hollywood, the artist got his name as people realized that he embodies the creative freedom that the area entails.
It was in 2014 when Hollywood Turk started getting serious and heavily invested with his music. With a hopeful perspective, he produced a track called “Am I Getting Money” on his album entitled Playas Only Live Once. Soon after, the artist released his hit single called “Ballin,” a song that propelled his career to the next level as it reached exponential success on Spotify and YouTube.
Following the success of his creations, Hollywood Turk produced “So Solid” with his friend Reckless West. The song has reached over 11,000 views on YouTube, capturing the attention of music lovers across the country. So Solid’s music video was shot by Diamond Cut Films. Additionally, his song “Can’t Give Up” dives deeper into his ventures as an entrepreneur, saying he “bought a little bitcoin just so I can get on.” Hollywood explored the world of forex and investments, setting his finances in much needed shape.
Today, Hollywood Turk is gaining unparalleled success for his music across major music platforms and continually helps other artists become better at their craft. Asked what his secret to success is, the artist shared that his ability to bring an upbeat energy and bringing life into rooms with his jokes make him unique. Aside from that, Hollywood also brings a fresh sound into the music industry with his hard west coast rap beats merged with his charming Southern accent.
Unlike others in the music scene, Hollywood Turk sets his own formula for growing his brand and music career. He refuses clout chasing and following trends. Instead, the artist focuses on his music and learning from other people to continually move forward. Furthermore, Hollywood is also the founder and CEO of his business called Souf West Connect where he offers merchandise such as CDs to his fans and listeners.
Hollywood Turk seeks to motivate upcoming artists to carve their paths in the industry. “Study people in the field that you’re in. Learn their strategies then formulate your own. You can be a better version of yourself if you start doing things that work for you,” shared Hollywood.
To learn more and connect with Hollywood Turk, visit his Instagram.