In a couple of weeks, Armand Hammer and the Alchemist will follow their excellent 2021 album Haram with Mercy, their second collaborative LP. Mercy includes collaborations with some of Armand Hammer's underground rap peers, including Earl Sweatshirt, Quelle Chris, and Pink Siifu. Last week, Armand Hammer and Alchemist shared lead single "Super Nintendo." Their new single is one of the album's collaborations, but it doesn't feature any other rappers. Instead, "Calypso Gene" has vocals from the LA-based soul-jazz artist Silka and the New York multidisciplinary artist Cleo Reed.
"Calypso Gene" takes its title from the stage name that Nation Of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan used when he was a calypso singer. It's a floaty meditation that still brings the sense of urgency that often defines Armand Hammer. Silka and Cleo Reed sing gospel riffs, repeating the phrase "dip me in the water." ELUCID and billy woods get into hazy realms of memory and legend -- woods telling stories about selling drugs with your grandmother, ELUCID bringing poetic and abstract imagery about sin, forgiveness, and water. This is powerful music. Listen below.
Mercy is out 11/7 on Backwoodz Studioz, with global physical distribution through Rhymesayers Entertainment. Check out our recent interview with Cleo Reed about their album Cuntry.
