New York is filled with signs advertising cash in exchange for diabetic test strips. The whole thing is absurd to the rappers Billy Woods and Elucid of Armand Hammer. Over the past few years, the prolific Woods has become one of rap’s most popular indie voices. Elucid, a poet, producer and M.C., has been turning out sonically challenging work that can best be classified as art-rap. Their music harks back to the mid-1990s era of New York rap, when the topics were bleak and the beats were sullen.

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Persons: Billy Woods, Armand Hammer, “ It’s, ” Elucid, “ ‘, Woods, “, ”, Thom Yorke, Elucid Locations: York, cavatelli, Queens, New York