Update + hyFen8ed = #upF8

Here's a little #upF8 for everyone.

Music is getting made.

Website is finished.

Go to www.hyfen8ed.com now and click on every green box to get where you need to go. I am happy to announce I finally figured out how to have a website for free basically so this one isn't going anywhere!

I could go on and on about everything I've been doing but I'll leave you with this.

It is my new about section on the hyFen8ed website.

I cut the shit!

Lights On Bitches!

Until next time...

Peace!

About

What’s up? My name is Kyle Holloway. 

I created hyFen8ed in 2011.

hyFen8ed went from group name, to a fake label, to a real label, 

to the monster consuming me, before finally becoming what it is now. 

hyFen8ed is the bridge

Between

WHO I WAS 

–––— and –––—

WHO I’M STILL BECOMING 

The hyphen connects K, the innocent kid I was, and 

Holla, the wild mother fucker I became to survive. 

TRUTH IS… INSIDE OF ME… I’M BOFFUM!

Now I’m only trying to be Kyle Holloway.

The F and 8 represent F8 (Fate)

This has been God's plan the whole time, even when I was running. 

I had to live every bit of it to be able to look back and help others still in it. 

Music is my language. I'm not using faith to promote music. 

I'm letting the music testify to what God is doing. 

GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS… 

UNTIL THEY’RE OBVIOUS.

You see.. 

I used to rap as K-Holla. 

Opened for Alien Ant Farm, Kottonmouth Kings and Tom MacDonald. 

I made hyFen8ed Entertainment into an official independent record label by

starting an LLC in 2018, thinking that was gonna be the big legit move.

It wasn’t.

It turned into a nightmare. 

Between the drug addiction, the debt and the pressure I put on myself… 

I couldn't take it anymore! 

So what did I do?

I ran.

Actually I drove… 

First I had a plan…

Then I got a girlfriend…

We lived out of my car in Colorado and Oregon for a year.

I was trying to escape from all my problems.

I got all the way to the ocean to realize… DAMN!!!

I CAN’T SWIM!!!

Then we came back to Wisconsin but then said fuck it…

We went and lived down in Texas for a winter.

Then she spazzed one day and I broke up with her ass.

I drove nonstop from Texas to Wisconsin.

Two weeks went by and my dumbass got back together with her.

A few months go by and my car dies.

A few months later I got dumped.

I moved home.

 I ended up stuck on the floor in my mom's attic, 

with my back fucked up, 

more depressed than I’d ever been, 

seriously thinking about killing myself. 

That's when I finally got honest. 

I NEEDED HELP SO… I GOT HELP!

I STARTED GOING TO THERAPY.

I GOT BAPTIZED. 

I LEARNED BASIC MUSIC THEORY ON A MIDI KEYBOARD.

I LEARNED GUITAR. 

I STOPPED RAPPING OVER OTHER PEOPLE'S BEATS.

I STARTED PRODUCING AS

9trippa Beats 

I QUIT SMOKING METH ON 10/11/2024

I RELEASED BOFFUM ON MARCH 28, 2025

THEN I RELAPSED ON 9/01/2025

Then on 10/11/2025 

WHICH WOULD’VE BEEN A YEAR SOBER… 

I DIDN’T LOSE MY SHIT LIKE I THOUGHT I WOULD… 

I FACED IT

I STOPPED BEING K-HOLLA

I STARTED BEING KYLE HOLLOWAY

I RELEASED “SURRENDER” ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2025  

MY FIRST CHRISTIAN ALBUM

BUT SOMETHING FELT WRONG

I’M NOT HEALED.

I’M NOT PERFECT.

I’M STILL UP AND DOWN… SO… 

I’M WORKING ON “PLAYING WITH SHADOWS” NOW.

IT’S AN ACOUSTIC PROJECT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT FEELS REAL. 

IT’S THE ALBUM THE SHOULD’VE CAME OUT BETWEEN 

“BOFFUM” AND “SURRENDER”

BECAUSE… 

I'm still fighting the urge not to relapse… 

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I’M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO QUIT FOREVER.

I STILL GET PULLED IN TOO MANY DIRECTIONS. 

SOME DAYS I FEEL LIKE I'M ACTUALLY BECOMING SOMETHING BETTER. 

OTHER DAYS I'M JUST TRYING NOT TO FALL APART. 

STAYING SOBER AND RELEASING HONEST SONGS ARE MY ONLY GOALS. 

MUSIC IS HOW I PROCESS LIFE. 

I'M TRUSTING GOD'S PLAN AND TRYING TO SURRENDER CONTROL. 

I'M NOT SOME REDEEMED SUCCESS STORY. 

I’M JUST A GUY TIRED OF LYING TO HIMSELF.

NOW I'M KEEPING IT SIMPLE. 

FINISHING AND RELEASING PLAYING WITH SHADOWS. 

REGISTERING SONGS. 

KEEPING THE WEBSITE UPDATED. 

DOING K-NOW LIVE! WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT.

WRITING BLOGS WHEN I HAVE THE ENERGY. 

I'M NOT BUILDING EMAIL SEQUENCES OR CONTENT CALENDARS.

I’M DONE TRYING TO DO IT ALL.

TRYING TO DO IT ALL IS WHAT TURNED ME 

FROM A FUN STONER RAPPER…  

WHO JUST LOVED MUSIC…  

INTO AN OBSESSED TWEAKER…  

TRYING TO BUILD AN EMPIRE…

 AS A FORM OF SUBCONSCIOUS SELF-SABOTAGE. 

FUCK THAT! 

I’VE DECIDED I’M CHILLING AND WHATEVER HAPPENS HAPPENS. 

I’M NOT KILLING MYSELF FOR THIS ANYMORE.

 hyFen8ed IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE…  

BROKEN BUT STILL TRYING. 

THAT INCLUDES ME. 

 I FEEL THESE FUCKED UP FEELINGS.

I SIT IN THE SHIT.

I TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHERE I'M AT.

I LET THE MUSIC POINT TOWARD GOD WITHOUT FORCING IT.

I'M NOT BEHIND.

I DON'T HAVE TO DO BIG THINGS RIGHT NOW.

SHOWING UP HONESTLY IS ENOUGH.

ONE DAY AT A TIME.

STILL BECOMING.

#EmbraceF8

Kyle Holloway

Founder of hyFen8ed

K-Nae in the Studio: The Making of "Cuddle" (Live)

The pure authenticity of "Cuddle" (Live)

Welcome back to The Hollahotfire Lights On Lyrics Blog. In this space, we keep it real, we keep it authentic, we tell it like it is and never like it ain't. Today, I'm taking you into the raw heart of my new album "Playing with Shadows" to break down the track "Cuddle."

There are no heavy beats or crazy production tricks on this one. It's just me spilling the unfiltered truth while Nae lays down the acoustic guitar. When you strip away all the extra noise and it's just my voice and Nae making Maybelline do her thing, you can't fake the emotion. The vulnerability is the whole point.

The Setup: The Sanctuary

“Yo girl you been working too much / You need to take a break / Come kick it with me”

This is just the realest intro ever. No breakdown needed.

“It’s cold outside baby / why don’t you come in and cuddle / Always on the hustle / but I see you struggle”

When I wrote this hook, I was thinking about the harsh realities of the world. The "cold outside" isn't just about the weather; it's the daily hustle, the stress, and the absolute exhaustion of just trying to survive. A lot of artists would write a hook offering to buy a girl the world. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to offer a sanctuary. I was telling her it’s okay to stop fighting the wind, put the armor down, and just rest. With Nae's acoustic guitar driving the rhythm, it feels exactly like sitting in a warm room while a storm rages outside.

Verse 1: The Honest Reality

“Have a cup of coffee / it'll warm your soul / If you wanna smoke / pack a bowl / That's just how I roll / add some soul / yeah somedays I'mma asshole / But most days I'm mad dope / let's not fuss about the past though / Climb in bring that ass close”

This verse strips away all the glamorous lifestyle bullshit and replaces it with my actual, everyday reality. Coffee and weed. That's just how I roll. But the most important part of this verse is the radical self-awareness. I flat out admit, "somedays I'mma asshole." I'm acknowledging that my dark side can be difficult to deal with. But I'm asking for grace regarding my past mistakes so we can just focus on keeping each other warm in the present moment.

Verse 2: The Death of the Mask

“Allow me to reintroduce myself / My name is Kyle / And I'm just trying to do is make you smile / I know it's been a while / You been in denial / I'll give options / Lock in this free trial”

This right here is the most important lyric in the song, and it perfectly matches the acoustic vibe of Playing with Shadows. For years, I used the name "K-Holla" as a protective mask. It was built out of arrogance and bravado to hide my deep insecurities. By explicitly saying, "Allow me to reintroduce myself / My name is Kyle," I was dropping the act completely. I'm telling this woman she isn't getting the rapper, the persona, or the ego. She is getting the real, vulnerable man underneath who just wants to make her smile.

The Bridge & Outro: The "Big Boy" Comfort

“Enough with this weather it's ugly / I can make it better just trust me / Come over here and hug me / Big boy I'm comfy I'm comfy I'm comfy”

I'm a big guy… 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds. In a lot of situations, a man my size might try to project intimidation or dominance. In this song, I flipped that narrative entirely. I used my size to be a source of ultimate comfort and safety. I wanted to be the physical anchor against the ugly weather outside.

The Final Verdict

"Cuddle" is the sound of absolute honesty... a classic Wisconsin winter anthem! Doing it stripped down with Nae on the acoustic guitar proved that I don't need a heavy instrumental or an arrogant persona to make a track that hits hard. I just needed to tell the truth about wanting to be a safe place for someone I care about.

Keep the lights on.

If you enjoyed this song or this story today, please support independant music and artists by visiting the official hyFen8ed shop at direct.app/hyfen8ed and find and follow all of Kyle Holloway’s links at dot.cards/kylehollowaymusic and look out for Nae's DEBUT ALBUM "CIRCLES" which will be available April 1st everywhere!

"Cuddle"

Lyrics

(Intro)

Yo girl you been working too much 

You need to take a break 

Come kick it with me 

(Pre-chorus)

It's cold outside it's cold outside 

It's cold outside 

(Chorus)

It’s cold outside baby 

why don’t you come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

(Verse 1)

It's already snowing 

There's more to go 

Have a cup of coffee 

it'll warm your soul 

If you wanna smoke 

pack a bowl 

That's just how I roll 

Add some soul 

Yeah somedays I'mma asshole

But most days  I'm mad dope 

let's not fuss about the past though 

Climb in bring that ass close 

Yeah I'm about to keep you warm 

All night long 

Shit I might keep you warm 

all life long 

Sorry if you think I ever 

did that ass wrong 

Least you know I never 

hit that ass wrong 

Baby I'm the one you need to love 

Because baby I'm the one who heats you up

(Pre-chorus)

It's cold outside it's cold outside 

It's cold outside 

(Chorus)

It’s cold outside baby 

why don’t you come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

(Verse 2)

Allow me to reintroduce myself 

My name is Kyle 

All I'm trying to do is make you smile 

I know it's been a while 

You been in denial 

I'll give options Lock in this free trial 

Guarantee I got what you need 

you'll never cancel your subscription 

because you couldn't handle missing more of me

You sort of fiend 

For what I have 

Take this to the heart 3 times 

Rewind Please be mine See I'm 

trying to make you laugh

And also make you love me 

Enough with this weather it's ugly 

I can make it better just trust me 

Come over here and hug me 

Big boy I'm comfy I'm comfy I'm comfy 

(Pre-chorus)

It's cold outside it's cold outside 

It's cold outside 

(Chorus)

It’s cold outside baby 

why don’t you come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

Always on the hustle 

but I see you struggle

No trouble 

Swear to God I'm trying to love you 

Its cold outside so come in and cuddle

(Outro)

It's cold outside it's cold outside 

It's cold outside