Billy Woods - Today, I Wrote Nothing LP (10 Year Anniversary Reissue)

When billy woods released Today, I Wrote Nothing ten years ago, it was an unexpected departure from a rapper who was just starting to make waves in the indie rap scene. After spending the earlier part of his career in the wilderness, woods had managed to crawl out of obscurity with the minor success of 2012’s History Will Absolve Me. Dour Candy, 2013’s collaboration with underground legend Blockhead drew accolades, which only increased with Armand Hammer’s debut Race Music.

Then, woods dropped out of sight for two years before returning with Today, I Wrote Nothing, a record that deviated significantly from what had come before. Where Dour Candy had been concise and focused, Today, I Wrote Nothing was a sprawling 24 tracks. Where History Will Absolve Me was anchored by hard-hitting beats, anthemic songs, and a couple high-powered features, Today, I Wrote Nothing was comprised of short vignettes, quietly eclectic production, and the only guests were his Backwoodz label-mates.

Only one video was released; the claustrophobic “Flatlands”, shot on a shoestring budget in a Brooklyn housing project. Reviewers didn’t know quite what to make of the record, and in many cases, neither did fans. As is often the case for woods’ albums, many perspectives shifted as the years passed.

Listeners came to see the sad, quiet beauty of Today, I Wrote Nothing; a road trip album that doubles as a meditation on life’s journeys and death’s hiding places. The album’s power is in its intimacy, its insistence on holding your hand through the darkness. Now, Today, I Wrote Nothing is considered one of the more unique and vital records in woods' catalogue.

The dynamic woods created with Today, I Wrote Nothing vis-a-vis History Will Absolve Me and Dour Candy is one that would come to define his oeuvre; constant experimentation, a refusal to be pigeonholed, and an unwavering search for the emotional heart of his subject.