Haram

Haram is a collaborative album from New York rap duo Armand Hammer (made up of billy woods and E L U C I D) and legendary Los Angeles producer The Alchemist. The project boasts features from KAYANA, FIELDED, Earl Sweatshirt, Curly Castro, Amani, and Quelle Chris. The entire album is produced solely by The Alchemist, with the exception of “God’s Feet,” which is co-produced with Earl Sweatshirt.

In the Islamic religion, “Haram” is a term used to refer to any act that is forbidden by Allah and is one of five Islamic commandments.

With their unmatched penchant for stirring imagery and incisive storytelling, the two rappers dive into an ocean of Alchemist’s creation: warmly inviting on the surface, black and bone-crushingly cold at depth. Haram is a collection of the profane and the pure; a reminder that that which is forbidden is also sacrosanct.

— From Armand Hammer’s label’s website: Backwoodz Studioz

billy woods was introduced to The Alchemist through Earl Sweatshirt. The Alchemist became a fan of woods after hearing him on an Evidence produced Mach-Hommy song and got into him and then Armand Hammer. The Alchemist reached out to woods and said he was a fan and eventually they decided to do an Armand Hammer album together. The Alchemist told ELUCID that he wanted to come into their world and craft Armand Hammer beats, instead of just giving them non-tailored Alchemist beats.

The original plan was for woods and ELUCID to be in the studio together with Willie Green to work on recording for the first half of the album process, then go to LA to work with The Alchemist in the studio to finish it.

The Alchemist sent the first beats in January 2019 and they recorded “Squeegee” and “Concurrent,” which became part of “Aubergine” on 2/19/19. They also recorded “Stonefruit” in the first half of 2019, but stopped because they were waiting on more beats. Later that year ELUCID went on a solo tour and then they both went on a European tour, but were still waiting on beats.

On the European Tour, they started working on some new music because ELUCID had a few Earl Sweatshirt beats. They wrote verses to one beat, which became Bitter Cassava and started working with Kenny Segal, who was also on the tour and that kicked off the recording of Shrines, which was completed before Armand Hammer had a second recording session for Haram. This, in addition to COVID precautions, prevented the original plan of recording together, or with The Alchemist, from panning out.

The last song that was finished on the album was “Chicharonnes,” on September 14, 2020. woods has said that based on the strength of Quelle’s feature on that song, and ELUCID’s closing verse on “Wishing Bad,” they had to bump a couple other songs off the tracklist.

Willie Green actually finished working on Haram before the woods and Moor Mother project, Brass, which would come out in December 2020.