Prolific underground rappers
billy woods and
E L U C I D have released some of their most envelope-pushing and politically charged work under the provocative handle
Armand Hammer. Their fifth studio album is a full collaboration with revered producer
the Alchemist, fresh off of highly acclaimed efforts with
Boldy James and
Freddie Gibbs.
The Alchemist was introduced to the duo's music by
Earl Sweatshirt, and he approached them in the interest of working together, with the specific intention of creating
Armand Hammer-style beats rather than his typical sound. The result is a dizzying swirl of disembodied soul samples and hazy beats that frequently dissolve and return, as the emcees deliver complex, metaphor-heavy rhymes addressing subjects such as colonialism and white supremacist oppression. The album's grisly cover art, a close-cropped photo of a bloody pair of severed pigs' heads, drew protests from animal rights organizations who mistook the image for shock value. In fact, the image serves to illustrate the album's thematic exploration of taboos; the title
Haram refers to an Arabic term representing all that is forbidden by Islam. The
Quelle Chris-assisted "Chicharrones" criticizes those who consider themselves leftist and anti-police but remain reactionary and tethered to conservative views regarding gender politics. On "Falling Out the Sky," a woozy track kicked off by an
Earl Sweatshirt guest verse,
woods reflects on driving to California to buy marijuana and transport it across the country, long before it was legalized in many states. Other tracks are loaded with biblical references, particularly the rapture-evoking "God's Feet," and the surreal "Peppertree," laced with backwards horns and queasy turntable scratches, describes a Jamaican funeral procession. As grim as the album seems, something constantly pulls it back from sinking into utter despair, and the majestic closer "Stonefruit" feels nothing less than triumphant. ~ Paul Simpson
