#207 - Armand Hammer breakdown 'Mercy' - Album Alchemy

Simply put, today’s guests have been on a run for the ages. Ever since their debut album in 2013’s Race Music, Armand Hammer, NY-based duo of E L U C I D and billy woods, have been on an absolute tear. With every passing release, their chemistry has gotten tighter, and their artistic scope has expanded. In 2021, the duo elevated to another level of critical and commercial success, teaming up with The legendary Alchemist for Haram - an album that has elevated the stock of woods and E L U C I D, with no sign of letting up. Next, they delivered the amazing We Buy Diabetic Test Strips in 2023, and incredible solo records in '24 and '25 respectively. Now in 2025, they joined forces with The Alchemist once again, with their latest album Mercy. In this episode, we discuss the lean, scaled-back creative approach to Mercy, the key themes that emerged, Al’s superpowers as a producer, and much more. Intro (0:00). The Plug (0:49). The Interview (2:17). The cover art for “Super Nintendo” (2:45). The genesis of Mercy (4:35). The recording process of Mercy (10:08). The unspoken creative chemistry of Armand Hammer (17:00). The thematic direction and symbolism of Mercy (23:17). The emotional tension of Mercy (35:40). Breaking down woods’ verse on “Laraaji” (37:47). The sonic design of Mercy (44:30). The Alchemist’s superpowers (49:45). How Al tailors his sound for Armand Hammer (58:10). The feature choices on Mercy (1:01:24). Key future milestones for Armand Hammer - patron q from Robert Rau (1:04:52). Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:09:49). Buy Mercy here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/armand-hammer-the-alchemist-mercy  Follow Armand Hammer on Twitter here: https://x.com/ArmandHammerNYC  Follow Armand Hammer on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/armandhammernyc/  Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING -- Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast Looking to connect? DM @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot us an email at [email protected]  Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://www.rapmusicplugpod.com/