Armand Hammer’s “When it Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss” is a vital pay attention for any fan of summary music, and a landmark second in fashionable hip-hop from Elucid and billy woods, two of probably the most revolutionary rappers within the recreation.

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“When It Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss” – Armand Hammer

Over a decade into their profession, prolific and enigmatic New York rappers Elucid and billy woods have returned in peak inventive kind.

“When it Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss,” the fourth observe off of their latest album We Purchase Diabetic Take a look at Strips (launched September 29, 2023 on Fats Possum) sees the duo diving again into their trademark model of darkish underground hip hop. The duo reveals an emphasis on increasing their pallet of sound (which is saying one thing given their historical past with eclectic instrumentals) which incorporates an extremely detailed edge on the manufacturing of the undertaking. Revolutionary instrumentals compound with storytelling as cryptic and considerate as ever to create a mesmerizing listening expertise on top-of-the-line rap albums of the yr.

Following 2021’s stark Haram, a collaboration between Armand Hammer and producer The Alchemist, Take a look at Strips finds the duo matching up with a workforce of innovative producers. The likes of Messiah Musik, JPEGMAFIA, El-P (of Run the Jewels fame) and Kenny Segal (contemporary off the discharge of his and woods’ superb Maps launched earlier this yr), contribute their particular person stylings of avant-garde instrumentals to this undertaking.

Even with a big solid of creators, every beat on this undertaking is woven along with unbelievable craftsmanship, leading to a pay attention that’s chock filled with surreal and various soundscapes. Unimaginable lyrics are layered over moments of somber weightlessness. Clever verses concerning the darkness of contemporary American life are intertwined with fleeting passages of darkish, glitchy, advanced instrumentals that sound in contrast to something from this world. The immense imaginative and prescient of this undertaking creates for an unbelievable auditory expertise solely these with the inventive prowess of woods and Elucid could make sense of.

Groove me
On the one, f* a two, three
As soon as upon a blue dream
Been in cream and linen
Watching blood on the moon drip
Drag bones to the boom-bip
New mild, exploded again from the womb pit
New myths, new names
I’ma scream my manner out
I’m all the best way in
(How does it really feel? How does it really feel?)

4 tracks into the undertaking, “When It Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss” opens with a brilliant, short-lasting tremolo impact which is rapidly chopped up and melded with a vocal pattern merely stating “Die.” Extra vocals bloom into the combination alongside an ungainly descending arpeggio performed by what appears like a plucked guitar. The sounds start to swirl collectively because the beat sputters a bit extra, sounding a bit like an previous speaker system sputtering on and off. Simply earlier than turning into too disorienting for the listener, the beat is grounded with a clunky drum sample which provides rhythmic consistency. “How Does it Really feel?” chants Elucid, including to the mystique of the intro earlier than his opening verse on the observe.

Euclid’s opening verse is as cryptic as ever. His surreal lyrics are delivered with a rhythmically strong circulate that punches properly with the beat. His disjointed storytelling depicts a dream-like state with imagery of dripping moons and light-weight from wombs, the artist cleverly naming colours which audibly paint an image for the listener. Mentions of physique components like hanging heads, blood, enamel, and bones add a way of physicality to the observe which properly distinction the unearthly feeling of what got here earlier than. Reverberated samples of a voice stating “How Does it Really feel” fade out and in of the combination, creating a way of discomfort amongst the already disorienting feeling of the observe. Elucid solutions, “I really feel extra like myself,” closing the magical verse in a daring style.

Takin’ pause, when you can lose, you will discover it
(How does it really feel? How does it really feel?)
Inform me what it mentioned
No element might seal
It’s all within the really feel
Naming names, even when it hurts
Goal of the ache
Again in locations, cycles, residual loops
Pores and skin of tooth been pressed for just a few
We the one blacks within the rock climb
There’s no consolation in reality generally
Communicate it out my mouth
With the tooth knocked out
When the gold acquired formed
When the oracle first mentioned, “Temple jewels”
They mentioned I needed to maintain my head
I felt extra like myself

Midway by means of the observe, the circulate of the tune is interrupted by 5 snare drum hits which act as a brief segue for a beat swap. The drums morph into one thing a lot heavier, the guitar arpeggios are swapped for marimba, and each different bar consists of what I can solely describe because the sound impact the arcade machine makes when Pac Man will get eaten by a ghost. woods opens his verse with a reference to his 2019 launch, “Hiding Locations.”

He proclaims, “Spongebob to Poseidon” – clear, braggadocious imagery which provides to the cartoony nature of the instrumental. Extra utilization of colours are included in his unfastened but exact circulate, every phrase including to the dense, surrealist narrative already constructed on the observe. woods’ supply evolves into one thing way more assertive as his rhymes element suns, pyramids, jangling jail keys, and African facial options that are each bit as participating as his associate’s. Handing the torch off to Elucid for one final verse, the “Pac-Man-game-over” sound is the very last thing the listener heard, the journey of the observe ending as rapidly because it began.

SpongeBob to Poseidon,
I acquired the operation tightened
Superseding indictment in [places]
on Dyckman, my excessive heightened
A chunk of the sky priceless, however you already know me
I toss it within the recycling
Misplaced that college stipend,
tossed ricin in USPS for the excitements
Tossed and turned all evening, I used to be frightened
The solar got here like a jailer jangling keys, jaunty
Black zombie, cheekbones Ashanti
Gold coast after I faucet in, it’s a palm tree
Your catalog black Abercrombie
My crypt a multi-layerered pyramid, Ponzi
Scissoring sapphists engraved within the concrete
Triggerin’ hoteps
I’m sniggerin’ with the aunties

With the quantity of element Armand Hammer delivers, it’s actually arduous to explain this observe; nonetheless, the enjoyability issue is extremely excessive.

Past the quantity of unbelievable density lies a observe that may be a enjoyable, participating, and colourful piece of musical tapestry. Armand Hammer’s skill to sonically weave so many sounds and concepts collectively exemplifies a sort of hip hop that few artists, if any, might hope to attain. “When it Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss” is a vital pay attention for any fan of summary music, and a landmark second in fashionable hip-hop from two of probably the most revolutionary rappers within the recreation.

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“When It Doesn’t Begin With a Kiss” – Armand Hammer

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