Hi, everyone. Seasonal Allergies here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Mach-Hommy album, #RICHAXXHATIAN. Here we have the newest full-length LP from prolific and elusive spitter, Mach-Hommy, which, what is there to say about Mach at this point? I've only covered his work formally a couple of times. Rarely have I been blown away by his music, but I get the appeal. The guy keeps it grimy, and I appreciate how much control he exerts over his work and his image, often obscuring his identity. He also keeps his bars off of Genius.com and despite his rising fame, he has continued to make sure that his songs stay within a closely knit handful of trusted producers and co-creators. Now, personally, I have found a lot of his most celebrated records so far to be maybe a bit too lofi, abstract, and disheveled for my taste. Not to mention his level of output can be difficult to keep up with sometimes, too, but Mach is still undeniably a talented rapper, and he clearly cares about his stuff enough to do it his own way.

He's a thoughtful lyricist, too, a rapper's rapper who's free associative bars on this record, touch down on everything from self-motivation to illusions of a past in the drug game, the current political situation in Haiti, institutional racism, exploitation inherent in our capitalist economic hierarchy. All the nods are there, but simultaneously, Hommy is not the type of rapper to sit down and pen a whole thesis on any of this stuff in an attempt to really convince anybody of anything, you either get it or you don't. Mach-Hommy is an artist who is looking to be listened to and accepted on his own terms, and only that. With that being said, though, I do think #RICHAXXHAITIAN is his biggest attempt at trying to record and pen something that has at least a little bit of crossover appeal. I think he's achieved that without compromising too much on his artistic mission.

For one, the lead single and title track to the album features production from KAYTRANADA, whose grooves are typically a lot dancier than what we usually hear Mach-Hommy over. There's also an autotuned hook from 03 Greedo on the song that has no business being this catchy. And funny enough, Hommy more than comfortable over these vaguely tropical, hip-shaking beats. And he sounds so chill and effortless in his performance. His speedy rhyme scheme sound easier to pull off than they are. Overall, in the grander scheme of things, I still think Mach-Hommy's sound on this track is rough around the edges and raw. But this is the most approachable I think his tracks have ever sounded. And I think the clarity to the mix on this song and many others on the album are making me appreciate him more as a rapper, too, because a lot of cuts throughout this project. He comes across as a young Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, which is a point of comparison that has been made before, but it is a valid one. While lyrically, I still think Hommy is trying to keep things at least a little abstract and not clean up his sound too much, he's definitely focusing more on song lines, on hooks, on song structure throughout the rest of this project, too.

The flow of which runs like a loose collection of tracks thrown together for a suite or a mixtape, which given recent releases from Earl Sweatshirt or Griselda or even Bladee, seems like the trend right now. I think that's a valid mode to operate in as long as the vibe stay high and varied, and the whole project doesn't overstay its welcome. That is a balance #RICHAXXHAITIAN achieves because I think a lot like one of his creative kindred spirits, Westside Gunn, Hommy is putting his curator hat a little bit on with this one, bringing a range of different beats and instrumental palettes and features for this variety hour mixtape as album experience, which kicks off with the murky and ominous "ANTONOMASIA" with its dusty beats and droning organ keys. Lyrically, Hommy really comes out swinging. He is talking his talk, making self-comparisons to the likes of Darth Vader, as well as civil rights leader Howard Thurman. Then on the back end of the track, we have Roc Marciano, who is a pretty great fit for this track, even with that weird potty bar.

Following this, "POLITickle" brings the first and one of the most stupendous song hooks on the entire record, which works in a bit of wordplay about the International Monetary Fund, with a subtle nod to its history of being a financial burden on third-world nations. The production on this track, as well as many other tracks on this record, is just incredible. So textured, so saturated, fantastic boom-bap beats, crazy-ass airhorn drops. Again, you're listening to some grimy ass tape, but simultaneously on the back end of the song, we have these weeping strings and incredible group vocal harmonies that are fantastically beautiful. The track is wild and elegant all at once. Then on the lyrical side, Hommy is, again, going pretty rapid fire, but between the nods to holy texts and Gazans having white phosphorus dropped on them, he has a lot on his mind. On "SONJE", we have more boom-bap-flavored beats, but this time with some classy, iced-out pianos with Georgia Anne Muldrow on the track, too. Lyrically, this track is all about saying things boldly, the things that you believe in. Hommy also puts out statements about alpha males claiming to be alpha, helping his loved ones as well with the money he's earned from his success in music. Plus, there's just a cool charisma about him and his delivery that, personally for me, is hitting a lot harder on these clearer and more vibrant recordings.

Then "EMPTY SPACES" entrances right off the bat with this opening chant, the beat that follows sounds like this lofi hurricane. Cohort Your Old Droog is also on the song, and it seems like Hommy and him are in a competition to see who can write the most unhinged bar on the song between references to girding loins and dog SA. Yeah, they're really testing each other's insanity on this one. We change gears, though, on "SUR LE PONT d'AVIGNON (Reparation #1)", where lyrically, we're getting a lot more beautiful, poetic, and subtle. Hommy is really showing multiple sides of himself across this project, plus the interpolation of this 15th century French song in the mix is quite nice, too.

From here, though, I wouldn't say the record dips down super far, but there is a multi-track midpoint lull that picks back up with the song "COPY COLD", mostly because of its high-quality Black Thought feature. And from here, we progress into a strong multi-track finish with the title track I mentioned earlier, "LON LON" which is also one of the most catchy tracks here. There's also "SAME 24", which is this glamorous type advice track with Hommy rapping about his focus, his accomplishments, the idea broadly being brought up about the things that you could get done in a day if you were to just focus on your craft, your grind, whatever your passion is. It's a little bro motivational podcast coded, but still a beautiful tune, and it's not an incorrect sentiment. We also get another chill, intoxicating cut on the closer, which has more showy instrumentation, super strong focus, relatable bars too, because there's definitely a pasta dish or two I've thought a lot about.

Consistently across the album, Homme just continues to show both his capacity for high levels of dirt and filth, but also thought-provoking bars, wit, beauty, and serenity too. My biggest issue with this project overall is that with its flow being so mixtape-like and being so chaotic, there are a handful of tracks that just breeze by, especially the ones that don't seem to have a strong chorus built in. They are hurt by the chaotic run of this project the most. And while I did enjoy this album very thoroughly, there are some spots where I couldn't just help but dream of the potential that it could have if conceptually it were just a bit more focused and thematic, maybe clearer in its messages, at least on the musical side, especially considering these couple of little vocal break interlude moments on the project where we have Hommy speaking on the phone to somebody. In one very specific instance, he's talking about the current political situation in Haiti. It's joked on the track that he should put this in a song. And I mean, while I guess this interlude does that on some level, maybe, yeah.

Again, would I prefer something that's a bit more defined and focused, probably. But the haze this album creates, though, is also highly admirable. It's like an impenetrable weed cloud that progressively over time, I just succumb to. I didn't really feel like it was making me tune out or numbing my brain or anything. It was still engaging. It was still interesting. It was still detailed. It still felt nourishing lyrically and instrumentally.

Which is why I'm pleased to say that I'm feeling a light-to-decent eight on this record.

Anthony Fantano. Mach-Hommy. Forever.