by Charles Davis (@LosDoghouse)
There is a rhythm to conscious existence; a pulse of build/destroy, chaos/order, life/death. Whether we, as humans, navigate our existential contemplation amidst the juggernaut of change, or a lizard eats a bug whilst sunning itself on a rock, we're all just trying to live. Some phantoms project themselves from the depths of the multiverse, acting as celestial conduits to Earth's relative place in time/space - exposing the moment for what it truly is - such is Haram, the most recent release from The Alchemist & Armand Hammer.
Indeed, one is immediately greeted by the cover art: two bloodied, severed pigs' heads - if it is at all possible to summarize a general vibe (of both the record and the moment), this is the bullseye hammer-to-nail ratio. The word 'Haram', roughly translating to 'Forbidden' in modern Arabic (or 'Proscribed' by Islamic Law) opens doors to the greater metaphorical painting and multi-layered circumlocution, its luxuriant and labyrinthian depths very clearly molded by the hands of master craftsmen. Though it is an otherworldly, glooming ambience which first envelopes the listener, such pensiveness is reflected with an off-kilter sanguinity, entrenching one in the ever-changing, hypnotic soundscapes and incantatory wordage. These swift flows run gauntlet after gauntlet of abstract rhythms and atmospheric textures, each more dangerous and demanding than the next, inviting and challenging one to take part in the adventure.
Featuring guest MCs Earl Sweatshirt, Curly Castro, Amani, Quelle Chris, and R&B vocalist Kayana, lyrically/cadently/melodically there is exclusively persistent, net-positive forward motion. Armand Hammer’s Billy Woods & Elucid are offered room to truly spread their wings, casting resplendent, sunset-esque visuals amidst the greater, lush-forested, mountainous horizon of grooves and textures. The production encompasses a truly elemental nature; potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus - some of life's basic building blocks - and currents run underground like mycorrhizae, feeding the flourishing biodiversity upon which the audience may contextualize & illuminate.
"My new name colonizers can’t pronounce."
Armand Hammer are familiar heroes in the world of lyricists, and Alchemist is their consistent match throughout this collaboration, offering relative mirrors to the collective telescope, channeling these images of our distant, deep space - its relative star systems, black holes, supernovas - for us mortals to theorize and quantize here on Earth. Clearly one of 2021's most intriguing and successfully ambitious hip-hop albums, Haram is high art, and hangs another jewel on their respective crowns of its creators.