Meet ColdHC: The artist becoming a hot commodity in the music industry
I knew Coldhc was a musical rarity ever since his performance in 2018 at DJ Drewski‘s venue, The MVMT Space.
I remember his voice bouncing off the walls as he rapped “I been eating all night, I got the munchies (I’m hungry),” and how well he employed the stage. There was no denying the effect Coldhc had on the crowd.
As they hung onto every word, he left them on go mode, and in turn, he left with more fans on his roster. To this day, I can recall going to my best friends house and repeating that same line subconsciously.
Later on, (with a little research, of course), I put a name on where this passage derived from. It was from his smash-hit, “Munchies.”
Fast forward, and I was lucky enough to witness Coldhc’s artistic growth. Since his memorable time on stage, he’s released projects like 2 Months In, Crabs in a Barrel, Vol. 1, Made To Scale, and his most recent, Hood Noon. Not to mention his consistency has gained him notoriety across the coast.
From a musical standpoint, Coldhc takes a relatable, unorthodox, and playful approach to his rhymes. It also helps that he uses auto-croon as his staple sound. Yet he flips the script every time by integrating it with witty punchlines and attention-grabbing cadences.
His moniker stems from being a hot commodity. During his first session in the studio with his friend, BigOso, and one of his engineers, DJ Salute, he shortened it to HC.
Coldhc adds that it came out way smoother and was more memorable on first impressions. After that session, he rolled with it. It turned into Coldhc, to further the brand.
View this post on InstagramThis song’s for the ladies. TANGLED (Donde Estas). Stream it. Mexico & @willsmith inspired it.
He started making music the summer after his father passed away in the fall of 2018. He adds,
“My music isn’t meant to be hyper lyrical. It is meant to transport you to a different world and vibe out. Life is full of stress, heartaches, and trials. My content can be brief intermissions before your next battle to excite you.”
Before hopping in the booth, Coldhc needs to have a positive state of mind. If he doesn’t like the beat packs, he won’t record. Coldhc also loves to collaborate with other artists because they can bounce ideas off each other.
Rappers like TFemi, RelicRhymes, Partofthebeat, and Missing–Nin have influenced his sound. Additionally, they’ve assisted with his creative process.
Ultimately, Coldhc wants listeners to tap into their best selves. He also wants them to preserve their peace of mind and pushes entrepreneurship.
“I research Tupac’s moves not to get etched out early, research Drake to see how careers can have longevity, see upcoming stars to learn why the audience is gravitating to their brand. Be a life-long learner.”
His latest single, “Tangled (Donde Estas),” pairs English bars with Spanish ones like “Yo tengo plata, comprar todos,” which means ” the cash on me stack to the roof.”
Additionally, the bass-heavy track carries pop arrangements and classic guitar loops. Cadence-wise, Coldhc uses his signature auto-croon and even raps in a swift manner. He also oscillates between piercing runs and a baritone register.
Lyrically, the “Hero” musician speaks about his past, getting to the bag, his resilience, foreign whips, the “entanglement” situation with Jada Pinkett Smith, and August Alsina, his exclusive drip/ice, and trips. Not to mention, Coldhc forewarns haters not to test his gangsta.
One notable line goes:
“Walk up in the venue, no tip tip, tip tip, toe (Guap)/Walk through TSA, like them diamonds take em off (Guap) Got my first diamonds for my birthday/They remind me of my cause I tried to make Trump money I used to trap Adderall (What?)”
In particular, these excerpts highlight his inner hustle, how he use to make a buck, his impact, and how jewels are a reminder as to why he goes so hard in music.
“Anytime I hear a beat, I know as soon as it drops if I will use it or not within 15 seconds,” Coldhc says about the song’s creative process.
“The echoing melody in the back is addictive, the drums, and hi-hats had bounce, so I threw a repeating word in the background to add a trance effect to it. During that time, the ‘entanglement’ thing was going on with the media with Will Smith. The shortened word ‘Tangled’ fit the song, being repeated and echoed.”
Before the song was created, Coldhc spent a week in Mexico in late June and traveled throughout the country.
His favorite places were Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun, so he wanted to transport the listeners to his Mexico experience. The forthcoming music video was filmed in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He wanted to capture the “Latin vibes,” so he took a weekend trip with his engineering and directing savant Partofthebeat. He says that they have some Puerto Rican landmarks in the music video.
The only difficulties during the shoot were social distancing. Because of the pandemic, Coldhc couldn’t include a ton of people in the video.
He hopes that each listener learns that life is too short when bumping “Tangled (Donde Estas).” He wants them to enjoy all that life has to offer.
“The majority of the population is petrified to the core, not budging from their homes. Life is not on pause or guaranteed.”