Today, ELUCID — the NYC underground rap stalwart known for his own solo work as well as Armand Hammer, his duo with billy woods — and the veteran producer Sebb Bash share “Make Me Wise.” It’s the second track from I Guess U Had To Be There (Backwoodz Studioz), a new album out March 13, 2026.

Following the lead single and album opener “First Light,”, “Make Me Wise” creeps further into the spectral realm, backed by uneven progressions that evoke an orchestra performing in a slanted room, the cycle of tension and disorientation only leveled out by ELUCID’s unmistakable flow. 

Fresh off a run of acclaimed projects and tours, ELUCID’s lyricism here is razor-sharp, spiritually fractured, and boldly imaginative — deep-listening hip-hop powered by the kind of performance critics and fans will dissect for months. Sebb Bash, aka The Alchemist’s favorite producer, delivers a world of tense textures, dusty futurism, analog tape grime, and unexpected swing — a landscape custom-built for ELUCID’s shape-shifting cadences.

There are moments in music when masters of their craft cross paths at the height of their respective powers — records like Madvillainy, Liquid Swords, Dr. Octagonecologyst, and Hell Hath No Fury — where the result is more than the sum of its parts. ELUCID and Sebb Bash find themselves in this heady, seemingly effortless mode on I Guess U Had To Be There. The beats shift and flip under ELUCID’s feet, but he tightropes it all, delivering nimble as a mountain goat, producer and rapper moving in perfect synchronization.

Some shining stars make memorable appearances: billy woods, Breezly Brewin, Estee Nack, Shabaka Hutchings. But this is a two-man show, and the duo keep the spotlight where it belongs for a captivating, convention-defying listen. So fresh it sounds like it was made tomorrow, but bet money you could put this on in ’89 and get heads bopping.

ARMAND HAMMER TOUR DATES
3/10 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
3/11 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3
3/12 – Edinburgh, UK @ La Belle Angele
3/13 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
3/14 – Leeds, UK @ Project House
3/16 – Cardiff, UK @ The Globe
3/17 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity Centre
3/19 – London, UK @ Scala
3/21 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
3/23 – Amsterdam, NE @ Tolhuistuin
3/24 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
3/25 – Stockholm, SE @ Bar Brooklyn
3/26 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
4/24 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
4/25 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy
4/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5
4/28 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room
5/1 – Orlando, FL @ The Abbey
9/22 – Portland, ME @ Oxbow Blending & Bottling
9/23 – Somerville, MA @ Cafe at the Somerville Armory
9/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
9/27 – Washington DC @ Union Stage
10/6 – Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Fairmount
10/7 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
10/9 – Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
10/10 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/12 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
10/13 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
10/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
11/4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
11/5 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
11/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Highland Park
11/8 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
11/11 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
11/13 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater