released: november 7th, 2025

genre: hip-hop

from: new york, usa

label: backwoodz studioz

do billy woods and elucid ever rest? the new york emcees have, over the years, crafted some of the most detailed, introspective and dark hip-hop albums to come out in this generation. mercy is their eighth studio album and second full-length collaboration with the alchemist after the incredible haram in 2021. and it is incredible. for one, the production throughout is immersive, varied, combining heavy hitting, dark and abrasive beats with lush soul samples, sequenced to perfection and produced in a way that gives both woods and elucid space to narrate their stories in a way that is utterly captivating. “laaraji” has this heavy, disorienting guitar-looped beat, with both elucid and woods going off. the way both woods and elucid are able to describe and channel violence in their lyrics is something to behold. “the world doesn’t turn anymore / half burns, the other side will never thaw, burning books to keep warm” woods spits on the opener.” woods’ matter-of-fact delivery is chilling a lot of the time, and there is a vast example of lyrics like this. on “glue traps” featuring quelle chris (who’s verse is incredible too!), woods spits “bulldozers in the olive grove, soldiers switching to civilian clothes / every story tell a story that’s already been told / everything’s dead and gone, we only had the name of the road”. this, in reference to the idf’s militarisation and displacement of palestinian land and its people. on the chilling and eerie “u know my body”, woods laments “bodies in the water like apples bobbing gently / bodies stand sentry on battered corners gently / with the tiny coffins almost barely empty / bodies on bodies on bodies on bodies on bodies on bodies on bodies.” it’s helpless, chilling, uncomfortable to listen to. yet this is reality. this is history. it’s not like woods is saying stuff we don’t already know about, it’s the way he describes violence, death, and the horrors carried out on innocent people every day that makes listening to his music so powerful. the chilling piano sample on “scandinavia” is a highlight for me, as woods snaps on his verse – “swimming in re-segregated pools, the bleach burn good like menthol / alive with pleasure, i could never be mad at y’all”. the violence and oppressive imagery throughout is crazy, while on the moody and atmospheric “no grabba”, he states “two left feet picking through piles of kicks outside the gas chamber”. dark, chilling and poetic.

elucid on the other hand is a master of weaving narratives through abstract and observational lyrics that are also punchy and at times make me think, “what the fuck did i just listen to”. his verse on the dark and punchy “crisis phone” featuring the incomparable pink siifu is an example of this. “you don’t wanna know what’s in the sauce / you wouldn’t guess what’s under the floorboards / rich men hem and haw / weight from every known side, but still won’t pay what it cost” he raps emphatically over this chilling beat. his whole verse on that track is a standout and it’s so inspiring seem him continue to write some striking poetry on record. and while woods’ lyrics are more matter-of-fact and straightforward, elucid sometimes takes a bit of time to decode and understand. his flows are always incredible, usually off-kilter, but he finds these pockets within the beats that make him so enthralling to listen to. on “nil by mouth” (also an excellent film), he raps “went to sleep and dreamed of exploding beepers / for who soever believe / wrong arm of the law, the reaper’s reaching / been on a first-name basis with devils that hex correctly.” do i understand exactly what he’s referencing and saying all the time? no. but that’s the point. it’s the way he constructs verses together, his references and his depiction of the post-capitalist, post-truth world we live in is truly special.

i can’t write this review without mentioning “calyso gene” featuring silka and cleo reed, one of my favourite tracks they’ve ever made. from the lush, soulful and beautiful beat, to woods incredible opener to his second verse “the river is the border, but border is the river (dip me in the water) / snipers watch me swim, two-point-seven pounds of pressure on that trigger”, it’s a truly perfect track. there is so much depth and heaviness to it that is contrasted by alchemist’s incredible production. “dogeared” features kapwani’s gorgeous vocals and has an angelic beat, while “longjohns” featuring quelle chris and cleo reed is another fantastic moment on the album, with elucid and quelle sharing some intricate raps. “california games” featuring earl sweatshirt has a gorgeous, lush beat, as all three emcees flow over flutes, vocal chops. woods says “with sour malice, my daughter’s power ballads ring ‘cross barren fields / strung with the devil’s rope / gave the dead hope / the living weep, peeping in the telescope / light leak in the photo, god’s feet on they throat”. “super nintendo” closes the album out with a reflective tone as both emcees reflect on their past lives growing up, and being innocent to the horrors of the world. there is comfort in this final track with a lot of reflection, and feels like them tucking you into bed after exposing you to a horror story.

mercy is an extraordinary album highlighting the talents of two incredible emcees / poets / historians, who have continuously created complex and fascinating dystopian narratives, that take inspiration from the horrors of real life, as well as a legendary producer who continues to create some of the most immersive hip-hop soundscapes and soundtracks. mercy is incredible.

the album: