Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Lars Gotrich | July 28, 2026
ELUCID and billy woods have pounded the pavement for over two decades, which can feel like several lifetimes in underground rap years. Together as Armand Hammer, and separately on their own, the catalog runs deep. But even as more co-signs, features and bigger-name producers take note, a deep undercurrent remains: They reflect and refract the horrors and joys of the world, creating a kind of kaleidoscopic healing. As my colleague Rodney Carmichael puts it: The more complicated the times get, the easier it is to understand them.
But this ain't just for the heads; it takes a heart to feel what they're putting down. Frequently backed by warped and warbled production, these New York emcees trade reference-heavy and emotionally taut verses like oral histories passed down from front stoops. How does that translate to the Tiny Desk? That's where LA comes in, with producer Kenny Segal, jazz trio Human Error Club and guitarist Ryan Crosby.
Segal's arrangements channel the core Armand Hammer tension into a band that leaves smoke trails for the emcees to clear. Guitar fuzz squeals on "Laraaji." Whimsical chiptune melodies soundtrack an escapist nostalgia loop on "Super Nintendo." We get solo tracks from both ELUCID ("Spelling") and woods ("Spongebob" and "Discolated"), whose face is strategically placed behind a pop filter — anonymity is part of his art. Closing us out, "Stonefruit," which has become a calling card for the duo, embodies a tag-team whose hunger for life is both contemplative and carnal.
SET LIST
"Laraaji"
"Super Nintendo"
"Spongebob"
"Spelling"
"Dislocated"
"Stonefruit"
MUSICIANS
billy woods: vocals
ELUCID: vocals
Kenny Segal: keys, sampler, Omnichord, music director
Ryan Crosby: guitar, bass
Diego Gaeta: keys
Jesse Justice: keys
Mekala Session: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer/Mix: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Copy Editor: Sheldon Pearce
Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Felix Contreras
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
#armandhammer #elucid #billywoods #nprmusic #tinydesk
Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Proud supporters of NPR Music and the Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at Capital One dot com.
Lars Gotrich | July 28, 2026
ELUCID and billy woods have pounded the pavement for over two decades, which can feel like several lifetimes in underground rap years. Together as Armand Hammer, and separately on their own, the catalog runs deep. But even as more co-signs, features and bigger-name producers take note, a deep undercurrent remains: They reflect and refract the horrors and joys of the world, creating a kind of kaleidoscopic healing. As my colleague Rodney Carmichael puts it: The more complicated the times get, the easier it is to understand them.
But this ain't just for the heads; it takes a heart to feel what they're putting down. Frequently backed by warped and warbled production, these New York emcees trade reference-heavy and emotionally taut verses like oral histories passed down from front stoops. How does that translate to the Tiny Desk? That's where LA comes in, with producer Kenny Segal, jazz trio Human Error Club and guitarist Ryan Crosby.
Segal's arrangements channel the core Armand Hammer tension into a band that leaves smoke trails for the emcees to clear. Guitar fuzz squeals on "Laraaji." Whimsical chiptune melodies soundtrack an escapist nostalgia loop on "Super Nintendo." We get solo tracks from both ELUCID ("Spelling") and woods ("Spongebob" and "Discolated"), whose face is strategically placed behind a pop filter — anonymity is part of his art. Closing us out, "Stonefruit," which has become a calling card for the duo, embodies a tag-team whose hunger for life is both contemplative and carnal.
SET LIST
"Laraaji"
"Super Nintendo"
"Spongebob"
"Spelling"
"Dislocated"
"Stonefruit"
MUSICIANS
billy woods: vocals
ELUCID: vocals
Kenny Segal: keys, sampler, Omnichord, music director
Ryan Crosby: guitar, bass
Diego Gaeta: keys
Jesse Justice: keys
Mekala Session: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer/Mix: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Copy Editor: Sheldon Pearce
Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Felix Contreras
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
#armandhammer #elucid #billywoods #nprmusic #tinydesk
Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Proud supporters of NPR Music and the Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at Capital One dot com.
