Armand Hammer -
Race Music
Recommended by Frownland
I'm changing up the format for this review just because the album has 17 tracks and I highly doubt I'll have enough to add with each track to make it worth reading.
Armand Hammer is a hip-hop duo consisting of two of the most underrated emcees in the world of rap music, Billy Woods and Elucid. Both have made a career out of their snail paced flows and abstract lyricism which often times forces the listener to really reflect on what is being said.
The first thing that stood out to me with Armand Hammer was the beat selection. Billy Woods (and Elucid, for the most part at least) normally gravitates towards very sparse, laid back production. On this project, however, we see the two take on some beats that are rather full and have a lot going on.
Renaissance Garments is a great example of that, as the cloud rap influenced beat is very different from what one would expect to hear on a project from the two New York based artists. The production on
Willie Bosket is also worth discussing as the beat exudes a fair bit of trap influence with the rattling hi-hats and 808s.
As one would expect after hearing what the two are capable of, the album is full of impressive lyrical moments. Their aggressive flow and heavy emphasis within their delivery makes every bar hit like a freight train, and on some of the more simplistic and straightforward beats like
Shark Fin Soup, Hatchet Job, and Duppy, the lyricism really stands out.
Oh and as far as features go, Open Mike Eagle <3
Final Verdict: I've yet to hear anything less than stellar from Billy Woods, and Elucid has a pretty good track record as well. Nothing changes after having heard this album. They take a few risks with the production which is nice, they bring it lyrically track after track, and for a project that clocks in at over an hour, there's a nice amount of diversity in sound. This gets an easy pass.
Best lines from the album:
So goth I was born black/ Son trapped within a crux that endorsed crack/ Dirt nap before 21 be the forecast/ Flown flag half mast / Crass paths ventured/ Lucky if you just got stabbed / Limp ginger, flesh wounds still tender /Picking scabs /Block too hot, triage care intensive / Post grad, head of my class expensive / Sessions extended / Reality bites butjakes pinching /Old co defendant, new solo mission / Head spinning / Short glimpses / All city
Rabbi and the Golem / Base clay left to harden in the sun / Mobutu Sese Seko
Kill em all without touching a gun / House made of legos / Throw all the stones you want
There's probably way more than that worth mentioning, but those are the two that really stood out to me.