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Decoding the New Armand Hammer Album, ‘Shrines’
The last time we heard from New York hip-hop duo, Armand Hammer, they explored the dismal reality of being a black man in a white, capitalist America. Last year, one half of the pair, Billy Woods, searched the deepest, darkest corners of himself and released one of the most unsettling hip-hop releases of the last decade.
2020 has been an unrelenting year so far as the coronavirus pandemic has struck the planet, a depression has left millions of Americans without an income, another cop has killed another black man in the streets leading to a global uprising and we are only halfway through the year.
Was I surprised when Armand Hammer’s latest project, Shrines, turned out to feature the duo’s most lighthearted and hopeful storytelling so far? Absolutely. Was I disappointed? Absolutely not.
Well, that’s not the entire truth. Deep down, I wanted to hear another Paraffin or Hiding Places as those albums initially turned me on to Billy Woods and Elucid. But, after listening to this new project, I’m glad they went a somewhat different route.
Sure, their paranoia of others and deep hatred for the capitalist system is compelling and keeps me coming back for more, but they can only do that so many times before it starts to get tiresome. There is some of that vitriol on Shrines, but it’s contrasted with lyrics that portray an optimistic and hopeful mindset that isn’t typical of Armand Hammer’s persona.
“Charms” begins with Billy acknowledging the world is a cruel and chaotic place. “I was given this world, I didn’t make it / This is a crazy place,” he shouts. At some point, we all come to this realization, then soon comes the reluctant recognition that we are powerless to change our world for the better. It’s a painful revelation, one that Armand Hammer has covered before. Usually, they would have an aggressive response to this topic, but this isn’t a regular Armand Hammer album.
The song ends with Elucid referring to rebirth and unity among others. I interpreted this as him saying to achieve harmony, the systems in place must fall to create something new from the ashes. I can’t help but think of the worldwide protests following the death of George Floyd when listening to Elucid’s lyrics. Those under the Black Lives Matter…
