Rapid Fire Reviews: Armand Hammer, Jay Electronica and Spillage Village

As we round the corner towards the end of the year it's time to start catching up on records that I didn't get a chance to review earlier before it's time to write my end of year lists. In this first set of more concise reviews we will cover a collection of hip hop records from 2020 by artists who made noise in their respective niches.

Shrines - Armand Hammer

On the newest collaboration from rapper Billy Woods and producer Elucid you really know what you're in for. The beats here work with a jazz rap fundamental but consistently push it into other worlds crafting some harsher and more abstract beats across the album than you may typically hear on a conscious rap project of the like. Billy Woods intoxicating and confrontational voice adds grit to some of the more narrative driven or politically charged moments on the album and guests like R.A.P Ferreira and Earl Sweatshirt make notable appearances. The only major problem I have with the record is Billy's constant slipping in and out of flow. While there are moments where it makes for impactful and intense moments I do wish that a lot of the albums storytelling could have been delivered as part of a more engaging flow to make better use of some of the really cool beats on the album. This paired with song structure that makes numerous tracks feel like they end completely out of the blue makes for a record I enjoy listening to but not one I consider to be among Armand Hammer's best work. 6.5/10

Act II: The Patents Of Nobility - Jay Electronica

One of the conscious rap records I haven enjoyed returning to the most throughout 2020 was the jay Electronica and Jay-Z collaboration that came out earlier this year. I have vivid memories of waiting for Act II to be released years ago so I was excited after this record leaked and Jay Electronica quickly uploaded a version of it to Tidal. Unfortunately if you had an issue with a lack of polish on Jay's last record this isn't going to solve any of those problems. With rudimentary beats, muddy production and embarrassing and repetitive sampling it is clear that this album was unfinished. The mix is often a total disaster which doesn't kill some of the records more lowkey tracks but it comes into play on any attempted banger and when Jay has guests on to attempt to paint narrative concepts that ultimately go un-finished. If you love Jay Electronica as a rapper there are definitely going to be songs on here that remind you of the immense talent he showed up with in the 2000's but this record doesn't check any other boxes for a long awaited debut. 5/10

Spilligion - Spillage Village

With voices like Earthgang, JID and 6lack that I have dished out critical acclaim to in bulk over the last few years I was pretty excited for this project but it doesn't quite add up to the sum of it's parts. With ambitious ideas and a strong commitment to the core religious themes the record feels connected but the quality of the songwriting and the specific performances in these songs varies drastically. With individual highlights abound it is safe to say there is plenty here for fans to enjoy but the project is as inconsistent as they come both from song to song and even with performances within the songs. This is more than just a half-assed side project but the music doesn't quite reflect how much attention was clearly put into it. 6/10