released: march 13th, 2026

genre: hip-hop

from: new york, usa / switzerland

label: backwoodz studioz

a few thoughts: sebb bash has quickly become one of my favourite producers over the last couple of years, with his often minimalistic, eclectic and atmospheric sound. hearing him on previous elucid and armand hammer releases, i was psyched about the news of a dull collaborative album with one of my favourite rappers and poets. elucid’s writing style is usually abstract and difficult to decipher. that’s what makes his work so intruiging to me. with each and every song, he paints vivid and eclectic imagery. The drumless opener “first light” feturing mattie has disorienting lyrics, with a lot of imagery and wordplay around pleasure and observations around his life in general. the gorgeous, souful beat and groove on “cantata” is incredible, while estee nack delivers a menacing verse on the gloomy and menacing “hands n feet”, as elucid also raps emphatically “put a rocket in my pocket and put a quarter on the wall in the wing / skull snap, foul doctrine, only so long they pretend”. a lot of his lyrics touch on themes of violence of all kinds, namely colonial and state-imposed. “make me wise” has a gorgeous, harp-sampling beat and one of my favourite moments on the album, as elucid raps “scarcity is a lie of the state / they pairin’ propaganda with pie in the face”, with piercing commentary on the state of the world and people in power. the dark and unassuming “coonspeak” is incredible too. the latter half of the track with the lush beat is accompanied by striking bars, including the powerful “no occupation is forever, i be so sincere”. the emphatic “equiano” featuring shabaka on the flute is another incredible moment, with a beautifully angelic composition throughout. “the lorax” featuring billy woods is another powerful moment, with phenomenal verses from both emcees who again comment on the violent opression of people and the enivronment around them. woods for instance, kicks his verse off with “mecromancer, dead dance for me / hold the trees for ransom, the lorax pay handsomely” in reference to the lorax as a character trying to save the trees and environment around him. the soulful beat on “fainting goats” featuring a crazy verse from breeze brewin who flows effortlessly over the colourful instrumental, is another highlight on the album. the psychedelic and intricate beat on “i say self” is incredible, as elucid’s disorienting, frantic verse has many quotables and interesting commentary. the disorienting and frantic “visitation place”, with its electic and abstract lyricism, makes for a striking listen, while the animated groove of “alive herbals” is infectiouso and includes some more dystopian lyricism from the poet, with his stop-start delivery. “parental advisory” closes the album out with this hellish, menacing soundscape, as he proclaims “i only trust you if there’s blood drawn / confusin’ wrath for bein’ loved on / nah, this a different kind of love song”, with an outro speaking on how violence, whether state, environmental or colonial, impacts children and adults alike, and “causes wear and tear on the immune system”. with each and every release, elucid finds new and innovative ways to conjure up disorienting and abstract lyrics that speak on the detrimental effects on violence on the human mind, often stemming from his own observations and experiences growing up in new york city. i guess u had to be there is one of his most complete projects to date, showcasing his versatility as an emcee and poet, while sebb bash continues to expand on his already disorienting and menacing soundscapes. this is simply an excellent project.

the album: