billy woods and Elucid Join Forces as Armand Hammer for New Album 'Shrines'

New York underground hip-hop legends Elucid and billy woods have teamed up for their latest project under their Armand Hammer imprint, Shrines. The 14-track album taps Earl Sweatshirt, Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Akai Solo, R.A.P. Ferreira and more for contributions.

Shrines follows 2018’s critically-acclaimed and undeniable tour-de-force Paraffin. From the jump, the 43-minute runtime finds Elucid and woods expertly maneuvering around and through an eclectic array of instrumentals that will keep you engaged throughout. The rhyming is layered, nuanced and demands multiple listens. The outro on the third song, “Charms” featuring KeiyaA, is especially poignant for the times.

While Shrines may not be the most accessible rap album, it is a necessary one, joining Run The Jewels’ RTJ4 and Drakeo The Ruler’s Thank You For Using GTL as essential listens this week.

“As ever, this release finds the duo treading fresh ground; swimming through rogue rhythms, rhymes skating over the abyss. Fourteen songs. A hundred glassine envelopes in a shoebox. A thousand stops on the train. Fire is stolen, not given,” a press release reads on the duo’s official Bandcamp listing.

Bandcamp is currently waving their share of sales today (Friday, June 5) until midnight PDT to support artists impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19). The company will also be donating 100% profits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on June 19. Stream Shrines via Bandcamp if you can, and check out a list of artists and labels offering special donations, merch and more today.