Bob Uit Zuid releases new album 'Heilig'

Bob Uit Zuid, the prodigal son who made a name for himself with singles like 'Karpervissen' and 'Ik Huil Nooit', is back. His new album goes by the prophetic name 'Heilig', immediately setting the bar sky-high for that ever-difficult second album.

There's no shortage of bravado with Bob Uit Zuid, who as a rapper occupies a unique position on the indie label Excelsior Recordings. Just like on his eponymous debut album, he effortlessly meets expectations. In the making of 'Heilig', he received help from his comrades De Stier uit Oost and Prins Claus, whom he calls his 'faithful servants in good deeds.'

Once again, we hear Bob performing top-notch linguistic acrobatics, with lyrics that are as brilliant as they are incomprehensible. "Het weefsel bolt om de botten / Door de boerenkool / Gerookte kip / En kilo wortels," he raps on the first single 'Applaus', a sign that the self-proclaimed messiah is gradually outgrowing his role.

On 'Tiny House', Bob surprisingly finds contentment in simple pleasures: "Jeuk van de grote ruimtes / Ik ben leuk in foetushouding / Teut van de minibar in m'n kleine keuken / Uitzicht op veulens / Pis hier in een putje / Ja hier gelukkig."

It perfectly symbolizes the paradoxical nature of Bob Uit Zuid's artistry; the line between brutally honest straight talk and absurdism and satire blurs, and the listener is drawn into a universe where shepherd Bob leads the flock—don't ask too many questions.

With influences ranging from the Beastie Boys to The Black Keys and Osdorp Posse, Bob Uit Zuid is a odd one out in the contemporary Dutch hip-hop scene. But it is precisely this uniqueness that has earned him a cult status in a relatively short time. Armed with a live band equipped with fuzz guitars and organs, he proves himself once again on this new album to be a master of his craft, treating his disciples to lyrics about rosewood tables, Michel Houellebecq, and inheritance.

'Heilig' has a message for us. A message of love and mercy; like a populist, Bob takes care of the listener and embraces them with his musical blanket of love.

Listen to 'Heilig' here.