Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips ALBUM REVIEW
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Listen: armandhammer.b...
billy woods and Elucid are on another level with this one.
More rap reviews: • Hip Hop Reviews
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FAV TRACKS: LANDLINES, WOKE UP AND ASKED SIRI HOW I'M GONNA DIE, THE FLEXIBLE UNRELIABILITY OF TIME AND MEMORY, WHEN IT DOESN'T START WITH A KISS, I KEEP A MIRROR IN MY POCKET, TRAUMA MIC, NIGGARDLY, THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY, EMPIRE BLVD, DON'T LOSE YOUR JOB, SWITCHBOARD, THE KEY IS UNDER THE MAT
LEAST FAV TRACK: TOTAL RECALL
ARMAND HAMMER - WE BUY DIABETIC TEST STRIPS / 2023 / FAT POSSUM / ABSTRACT HIP HOP
9/10 www.theneedled...
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
billy woods' output the past 10 years is insane
Especially the run he had from 2019 til now is unbelievable
Don’t you mean the past 20 years?
20*
so is frank sinatra’s
Yup, he’s in my top 10 ever now. Dude doesn’t miss
glad to see the return of Cal Chuchesta, truly the heart and soul of the channel
A million thumbs
The hardest I smiled all year😀
God bless him
No wonder this channel has been souless and heartless for some time
Yes
Billy woods' voice/delivery is honestly my favorite of anyone right now. You can tell he pours his heart into every song
So he's a passion Merchant? Because his music's CRAP man
it really borders on spoken word at times
The raw _power_ and *command* in his voice, it makes you hang on every word.
After seeing him live and talking to him after the show, I can tell he truly just loves to preform and create art to the best of his ability.
some say it borders on spoken word!
is this the first time woods has received a 9? long overdue IMO!! this album is sooo incredible
pelting my computer screen with tomatoes until he re reviews aethiopes
@@rpemulisit deserved a 10 for sure, along with brass and paraffin 😖
Hiding places ain't a 10?!?
@@RawWrathi don’t think so. i say that as a massive fan of the record tho, ive even sculpted the house on the cover out of clay !
@@RawWrath hes only given 7 tens
billy is just on another level... How do you release Maps then this IN THE SAME YEAR??? Let alone all the other fantastic projects he's dropped in recent times. Truly an inspiring figure in modern times
Man aethiopes too, easily one of my favorite rap projects in the last 10 years, and it’s great to see he had my other 2 favorite rappers out rn (JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown) on projects this year. So hype
NO HARD FEELINGS !!
@@domcactus i've been trying to get into billy woods for a while. the reason for that is no hard feelings. the instrumental is one of my favourite of all time. It's just a bit diffucult to understand his lyrics. i've just started being able to process regular rap lyrics clearly. abstract hip hop is on another level
@@andrimatthiasson5718 I've been listening to his stuff all year, and this is such a good point! On every listen I catch a new bar or a clever lyrics I'd never heard before. His verses are always so dense and full of food for thought. He really is one of the best at his craft
Elucid is one of the most underrated MCs ever. I know everyone says that about billy, but i’ve actually preffered more of elucids work and hes even less appreciated. Glad to see they’re both putting out quality though obviously.
Why does he sound like Aesop Rock though.
@Japanda92 because aesop rock is every "artsy rappers" daddy. They've worked together on several projects
save yourself still blows my mind, used to listen to that one so much trying to figure out the lyrics
Thank you as an Aesop and Busdriver Stan the absolute chaos is necessary
@@Japanda92 Long Island tap water
Finally Billy Woods got a 9. About damn time
an 8 for aethiopes is idiotic,
Waiting for him to give Woods a 10
@@kurexx3424 hiding places should have been a 10
@@rpemulis HE LIKE ALBUM?! DUMB IDIOT NOT LIKE IT ENOUGH! HURHURHURHURHUR
@@rpemulisThat one was so close tho. It was a strong 8 to light 9, but he settled on the 8. Imo, it deserved the 9.
Can’t really argue at this point, Billy Woods is one of the best to ever touch a mic.
Yes
Elucid too….
Yes sir
Just say he’s the best, let’s not argue!
@@drinkmorewater7342 can’t argue that haha.
Elucid felt the disrespect from you not even reviewing his record that why he murdered every verse on this album, for me he was the star of the show on this album
I feel like he definitely took a step up on this album, some of the best stuff I’ve heard from him ever
W berserk pfp
Same here, ELUCID's delivery is mystical
Maps got 8/10 &
Armand Hammer got 9/10
2023 has been a great year for Billy 💯💯💯💯
My favourite duo of all time. Extremely important to the culture and provide groundbreaking albums each time they step in the booth. billy woods occupies a well deserved spot in my top 5. A genius lyricist with unmatched delivery and poise. About time he got his flowers! Happy to see them get a 9!
I still gotta say my favorite duo is Outkast... but Armand Hammer is _VERRRY_ close. They have one of those all-time great discographies!
I respect that, but you're right the discography is incredibly good!@@Jimmy1982Playlists
i like the music duo poptropica not so nice word
Love the Peggy production on “Woke Up And Asked Siri How I’m Gonna Die” sounds like some of his old Devon Hendryx stuff
Felt straight from Ghost Pop Tape,gives me a lot of hope there’s more like that from him in the future cause the production was amazing
@@thelastpepsi93692 more
Sounds so amorphous like I literally couldn’t name a single instrument on there
i like devons, i like everything about devons
i felt like key under the mat was the most ghost-poppey out of his productions in the album
Billy's lyricism is just so engaging. Just so many phrases and images that loosely connect to one another yet I'm hooked all the way through
Did not have to comment twice lmao
some of the lyrics are so deep on here you gotta think rhizomatically to pick up all the connections they're putting together, i found it to be incredibly philosophically powerful
Deleuze?
@@dylangerescapeplan its a billy woods review baby you know we reading deluze 💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥
feels like their most existential album yet
Really cool word thanks for dropping that rhizomatically
Wow thats rhizotastic!
I really thought this one might have gotten a ten. It definitely is for me, it’s tied with By The Time I Get to Phoenix for my fav album of the 2020’s so far
I agree 100% those are two of the best albums I’ve listened to in years. I got to see Armand Hammer open for Injury Reserve a little over a year ago and it was a religious experience.
Gonna have to listen to the other album... thanks for the rec!
I'm assuming it's a P.E. reference, yes? Public Enemy's "By The Time I Get To Arizona" was one of my favorite tracks from childhood.
@@Jimmy1982Playlists it's a reference to the Isaac Hayes remake of the Glen Campbell song by the same name
Is it just me who thinks that ELUCID's part of When It Doesn't Start With A Kiss is the best part of the album? When that bass comes in I actually ascend
There really is so much intrigue to the production and lyricism that makes every song so rewarding to come back to
I get the shoutouts for Paraffin and Haram, but over the years Rome has grown to be my personal favorite of theirs. The chaos makes more sense with each listen to say the least. Who told Elucid that he had to go as hard as he did on every track as well?
same for me, until this release
Paraffin is my favorite, but I totally understand... their earlier, less talked about work is INCREDIBLE! As good as, if not better than, their more recent work.
Rome was also my favorite before this one came out
*billy is the best rapper alive right now.*
This! And I love him being braggadocious on the album. He said something like people trying to decipher his lyrics is like Jesus reading the gospels. Crazy!
him or ka in terms of discography yeah
The best switch in When It Doesn’t Start With A Kiss has been stuck in my head for days, it has that weird duck hunt laugh sounding sample. Just such a strange beat but I can’t stop coming back to it.
I think that one has jpegmafia on production
beat switch on dont lose your job is also great
Not gonna lie, this is a really challenging album from Armand Hammer but with every listen it gets more rewarding. Loving the new release even though it really stumped me on first listen. Landlines is mesmerizing man
Challenging is my experience too - I’ve been digesting it in pieces
been waking up and listening to this one first thing. it's that gorgeous and enjoyable but also so cryptic and challenging like u said
hell yeah they have both been on fire this year, especially billy woods
I loved Total Recall. It was also a great change of pace because everything else is so intense it feels like a moment of calm in the chaos.
Yo ass gotta go when they push that button 😉😉
collab albums by underground rappers really working out well this year for Anthony
Amazing album, but honestly just an ok review, Anthony. I agree with the score, but I wish you would have given a little more attention to the lyrics beyond saying they’re hard to understand. While it’s true that they’re definitely open to multiple interpretations, and that it can be difficult to pin down the artists’ intent, I think it’s such an important part of the album that you could have at least shared your own interpretations and why the album is meaningful to you. And if you’re giving it a 9, I assume they are meaningful to you, since you wouldn’t have given such a high score to an album that just has cool beats but with opaque lyrics that don’t evoke any kind of meaning or emotion in you.
Really good point, I feel the same way. I’ve noticed he does this a lot in his “experimental” album reviews. For example, I remember he didn’t really even talk about individual tracks in his Slauson Malone a quiet farwell review and he didn’t make a best and worst tracks section, just said the song titles and song structures were too crazy. But then he’ll make a 20 minute review for Utopia, an album w little to no noteworthy lyrics although the majority of the production was interesting. Albums like this armand hammer project r the ones he should be making the long reviews for
The Gods Must Be Crazy has one of craziest beats I've heard all year
Saw them live on Injury Reserve's recent tour and had never heard of em. Super impressed in a live setting but didn't quite hook me when I tried to listen later. Glad to hear they're cookin up some heat
It's about time billy woods got that 9 been waiting a decade for this
After nine 8s Billy finally got a 9
was waiting for this review, absolutely amazing record and the Cal cameo was the highlight of my night 👌
Billy and ELUCID are untouchable.
"hung up on a hooker like rugby" one of the only few lines my small brain caught, GO SPRINGBOKS bring it home🇿🇦🇿🇦
I love seeing all the flowers for billy woods (no caps when you spell the man's name!)... but people gotta stop sleeping on Elucid!!!
I always relate them to Outkast. They each have one MC who is so obviously one of the GOATs, but the other MC in each respective duo is low-key one of the all-time greats, as well.
The gods must be crazy! Maps and Test Strips constant rotation rn both great albums
ok so the flutes, I think, are a reference to the film Saloum, in which character's screams are replaced in the audio track with huge flute trills. I have a vague recollection that Saloum is actually doing this in homage to an earlier Senegalese director, but I can't recall who. If that is a deliberate choice, I fuckin love it! Also, Saloum is a great action flick, and it respects your time - only 80 minutes.
i met King Krule a couple weeks ago and he was telling me i gotta listen to Elucid and that earl sweatshirt put him on lol
Where?
@@SB-lh5xb hopscotch festival in raleigh NC
They’re such a great duo, the things they’ve done have only gotten better and better each time they’re together. I can’t wait to see what Cal and Anthony do next!
Damn good album. I hope Billy Woods explodes in popularity, he’s severely underrated.
hes been getting progressively more praise lately tho… i wouldn’t say he’s nearly as underrated as he was around 2018 and prior
lowercase when u spell the man name
@@zeno6169word. I found out about him when he made music with Vordul Mega from Cannibal Ox. Back then he was reallllly underrated.
@@kuppakassisince when?
@@brycetrent since forever. That's how his name is displayed everywhere
Elucid really shined on this record. He’s really improved his vocal ability over the last few years. Armand hammer is easily the most exciting duo in rap rn.
Imagine Billy Woods spitting the dracula flow
the 2024 version of the album is a 10 with the JunglePussys verses removed and the inclusion of 'Doves"
Definitely has taken over STH for me as my album of the year. It feels like the first album this year I can really call perfect front to back,blows my mind on every listen
With this and Danny/Peggy this is a banner year in the scaring the hos genre
Seriously, go see them live! I just saw them last night on the first stop of their tour in Denver. Woods and Elucid are both incredible performers, and it’s not that I don’t wish them all the success, but being able to see the best of the best in a small intimate venue is a BLESSING. Woods is also mad funny and they sell their own merch after which is dope
I’m really glad so many are connecting with Woods, I truly am. However, E L U C I D is one half of this group and I think he was phenomenal on this record. His writing is even more abstract yet somehow more empathetic than Woods.
I know it’s tough to make any direct comparisons but I think this duo is up there with the best in hip hop history, like Outkast levels of synergy
Total recall beat is hard .
this year ive definitely become a billy woods fan, even when i have no idea what hes talking about his delivery and production choices make up for it and i might even learn a thing or 2 if i look into the lyrics
correction, you will change your entire life philosophy once you get into the lyrics lol he’s a genius
His writing is the best part. Its worth reading his entire discography
@@user-fs1lc2cj5s 🎯💯
@@Magic7ball 🎯💯
This album has a David Lynch vibe man.
Omg so true
two yellow flannels? is melon a Cal clone
as a type 1 diabetic, i like this album.
This is a weird album, one of the best this year for sure. To me Elucid shines here. Also, I love the contributions by Shabaka Hutchings on woodwinds.
REDUX FOR DOVES PLEAAAAASE
It’s funny to think of melon taking off his glasses, standing in the corner, and acting out the Cal Chuchesta part.
Armand hammer dropped a masterpiece
What’s new
@@ttt7337jjj 🎯💯🙏🏼 Right?!?
Dorian electra dropped a new album
Total Recall is my favorite track on the album
Damn. Isnt this year kinda stacked for good music? A lot of awesome shit this year
Kinda been average my guy it’s just the past 5 years haven’t exactly been peak
@@lumus7 yeah. That's true
@@lumus7 i dont know what you listen to but the last 5 years have been great
@@Magic7ball everything but trap and country their horrible
@@Magic7ball 🎯💯 The last 5 years is LOADED with great HipHop, in particular!
One of the best abstract hip hop albums probably ever , also rlly digestible
Not better than some rap songs imp
I can confirm, as a type-1 diabetic, these guys bought a few of my used test strips for $0 that I had been holding onto since my transition to the Dexcom reader.
Billy Woods finally broke the streak and got his first 9/10
this review is what pulled the trigger for me to give them a go
Love the production and lyricism
man i love that total recall beat
so much praise for woods in these comments which is cool he absolutely deserves it but elucid didn't just 'hold his own', he stole the show
For sure. I’d say I prefer Billy on this album personally but elucid totally steals the show on Rome and Haram
@@RSVaughan33 hi vaughan from x its lachlanchuula from x
AOTY! Such fresh, unique flows and sounds..
the torch of abstraction has been passed down from DOOM to Billy. absolutely inspirational figure in modern hip hop, both him and elucid absolutely killed it.
Billy Woods is incredible
Total recall is crayyyyyzzyyyyy ❤❤❤
3:38 Or the highway! I know that fantano was limp Bizkit fan he almost started singing
This is very close to Hip-Hop AOTY. I will have to listen more
In the annals of music criticism, there existed a luminary by the name of Anthony Fantano, a connoisseur of sound waves and an arbiter of taste. Revered for his discerning ear and meticulous reviews, Anthony prided himself on his ability to navigate the vast sonic landscape with finesse and acuity. However, destiny had a peculiar twist in store for him, as he embarked on a perilous encounter with a rap song by Logic that would test the very fabric of his auditory resilience.
On a fateful day, the sun cast its warm rays upon Anthony as he prepared for an auditory odyssey. Armed with his trusty headphones, he embarked on a mission to delve into the realms of Logic's sonic creation. Little did he know the tumultuous journey that lay ahead. As the song commenced, its initial beats infiltrated his ears, and Anthony's countenance contorted abruptly, as if struck by an unseen force akin to that of a vehicular collision.
With each passing moment, the pain intensified, causing his face to morph into a visage reminiscent of a Picasso painting, colors and shapes melding into a grotesque tapestry of anguish. It was as if the very essence of the song had invaded his being, mercilessly assaulting his auditory sensibilities. The culprit behind this devastating assault was none other than the audacious rhyme of "biracial" with "morning facial," a lyrical transgression that sent shockwaves of discordance through Anthony's psyche.
His head jerked to the side in a reflexive response, as though attempting to evade the aural assault that Logic had unleashed upon him. The sheer audacity of such a lyrical misstep had bewildered him, leaving his mind reeling in disbelief. How could such a revered artist commit such an egregious lyrical blunder? The cognitive dissonance between his expectations and the reality of the song's execution rocked him to his very core.
Driven to the brink of desperation, Anthony's hand reached out, as if guided by an instinctual force, and snatched the CD from the player. With a resolute grip, he broke it in half, severing the sonic connection that had tormented him. As if seeking a symbolic purge, he proceeded to address the halves of the shattered CD in a most unconventional manner.
One half, he dispatched to the faraway land of Guatemala, perhaps in a subconscious attempt to exorcise the remnants of the offending track from his existence. The other, he thrust into the sink disposal, its shards clattering against the metal blades, as though attempting to grind away the sonic pain that had plagued him so.
In that moment, amidst the fragments of the shattered CD, Anthony found solace. He realized that sometimes, even the most seasoned critics must confront the limits of their endurance. The journey of a music connoisseur is not always a harmonious symphony of adoration; it is a tumultuous voyage that encompasses both the ecstasy of discovery and the agony of disappointment.
From that day forward, Anthony carried the scars of this encounter with him, a reminder of the inherent subjectivity of musical taste. He emerged stronger, armed with a newfound appreciation for the intricacies of lyrical craftsmanship and the power of sonic experimentation. And so, he continued his quest, his passion for music unyielding, his critiques emboldened by the lessons learned from that fateful encounter with Logic's ill-fated rhyme.
I miss u Cal :3.
The fact Billy also dropped Maps this year is fucking wild cause that album is also a masterpiece
Has anyone else noticed that it looks like they’ve removed Junglepussy from the album on streaming? Does anyone know what happened?
I think she implied that she wasn't paid properly for her contributions
saw this coming from 6,000 miles away
personally loved total recall.
Same, the beat is entrancing
Why tf wasn’t doves on this record
It is now on apple music at least
It hadn't come out when I analyzed it
@loganschaedel449 he knows lmao
Total Recall being a least favorite is wild cuz it’s one of my favorite for that instrumental but with it being a 9/10. Seems like to him it’s got no skips
Album of the year contender along with Voir Dire and Maps.
Also can’t wait for “and then you pray for me” to drop as well 🔥
And then you pray for me big dissapointment.
Armand Hammer aoty for me
@@danielferd5099 yeah, the album has some bangers but it’s too long and has some misses, kinda wish he had more sample heavy beats instead of having so many trap beats. Armand hammer record was beat but the westside Gunn album isn’t that bad. It has like 8 or 9 songs I like a good amount
is billy woods the best in the world? Internet kids (like me i guess) say this a lot but he's actually the most slept on spitter around. He's beyond amazing.
Armand hammer summoned cal...
That rant about why not everybody deserves insulin, saying it shouldn't be free and actually should be more expensive, was uncalled for.
this whole album feels special. woods verse on blocked call sounds like he was putting a fucking a curse on someone.
Butcher Brown just dropped a new album. A must listen from a must listen group. Richmond VA intense jazz/funk group added more r&b and hip hop elements recently, to good effect.
Love the FreeStyle Libre influence on this record
Loved the album. Great review. Love to listen to this while working on my visual art. Hoping one day i'll get to do an album cover for these guys, or Billy Woods and Kenny Segal, Jpeg Maffia, or Danny Brown...also MIKE. LOL ! Soft Landings is my favorite.
I truly do not get the appeal of this album at all unfortunately
Same. It was so mid
@@ankitchauhancr7I also didn’t find it enjoyable but It might probably be that it’s not your taste instead of it being mid
new armand hammer baking soda sounds good
Armthony Hammertano
Not me thinking this was an album by evil industrialist tycoon Armand hammer 😭
Yellow shirt got da stash goinggggg
If the album title was "We Buy Melons", this would have been a 10/10
Please do ZekeUltra & Nephew Hesh next. Speak to the jungle in the hills
It's different (again). That's what they do. Still absorbing it.
Cal Chuchesta sure drives one hard bargain
idk why but seeing cal again was so nice lol
ALBUM OF THE YEAR CONTENDER
Some come in the form of co-dependents
A lot of times only end up being co-defendants - DOOM
Anthony are you insane it’s 12 in the morning
Its an incredible album and i wish i bought a ticket to see them
Considered driving 5 or 6 hours to see them in Oakland and didn't pull the trigger... seeing them live is on my bucket list.
same! going to see them in montreal!