Peering into Armand Hammer’s view of this fucked up world has never been a subtle experience. The duo of NYC rap underground mainstays Elucid and billy woods have consistently been exacting in their conscious flow and frenzy of psych-hop beatmaking that stares straight through a heated culture climate with blunt execution, but in teaming up with the likes of veteran rap producer the Alchemist on 2021’s HARAM or — in woods’ more recent case — Kenny Segal on this past summer’s Maps, it’s easy to let what’s fashionable about their sound soften those reality checks. Their sixth studio effort, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, flips that script and brings discomfort straight to the forefront of what they’re doing. Elucid and woods’ way with words remains at peak technique in ruminating on the modern day absurdities of this life, yet it’s presented in a colder environment where minimalist industrial noise beat production primarily created by JPEGMafia and DJ Haram whelm those starrier clashes between their morbid humor and existential ponderings. The album’s surrounding cast of Backwoodz Studioz’ extended family of Moor Mother, Curly Castro, Junglepussy, and Pink Siifu as well the likes of SOUL GLO’s Pierce Jordan and EL-P examines Armand Hammer’s view from a broader vantage point of voices, layering its density. Regardless, it’s more obvious hearing the bleak resignations over the true cost of living Elucid, woods and company circled around when dialed into the message more directly as it is here. The struggle may have always been hiding in plain sight in flashier efforts, but with We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, Armand Hammer make it more blunt and jarring for it. There’s no distractions from the grim of it all.

Highlights: “Woke Up And Asked Siri How I’m Gonna Die”, “Trauma Mic”, “Don’t Lose Your Job”

Armand Hammer’s We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is available now on Fat Possum.

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