Elucid Explores the Sonic Fabric of New York in Hip-Hop Innovation
In the Dream House installation in Manhattan, a space perfumed by incense and bathed in pink and purple lights, New York rapper and producer Elucid finds a pocket of Zen. Seated opposite an interviewer, he leans against a wall, crosses his ankles, and shuts his eyes, immersing himself in the long drone composition that shifts with every movement. This otherworldly environment, created by composer La Monte Young and artist Marian Zazeela, features fridge-sized speakers in each corner and violet-tinted windows that blur the passage of time. After an hour, Elucid rises to slowly walk around, eventually lying down to let the cascading tones wash over him, a testament to his affinity for meditative soundscapes.
From Childhood Sounds to Musical Inspiration
An hour later, over cocktails in a nearby bar, Elucid reflects on his experience, noting how his frequent use of floatation tanks, especially after tours, primed him for the Dream House's effects. "It takes a minute to get into another space, but I definitely got there," he says. As he settled into the drone, words like "engine room" and "turbine" surfaced in his mind, mirroring his songwriting process where sound dictates creativity. "Rappers always be like, 'The beat tells me what to do,'" he explains, emphasizing that sound carries colour, emotion, and force, with each listener interpreting it uniquely. Elucid has developed a sound vocabulary where words or whole sentences often emerge spontaneously during composition.
A native of South Jamaica, Queens, Elucid's connection to urban noise runs deep. Growing up near JFK International Airport, he recalls plates rattling as planes flew overhead, and railroad tracks looming over his backyard. These early exposures to New York's perpetual din have profoundly influenced his music, both in solo projects like Revelator and Valley of Grace, and as one half of the duo Armand Hammer with rapper Billy Woods. His production on Armand Hammer's 2018 breakout record, Paraffin, is described as blunt and bulky, akin to a rush hour subway crowd, capturing the city's relentless energy.
Harmony in Urban Chaos and Collaborative Ventures
"I just like those sounds," Elucid admits. "I like the harmony of the city. Everybody's got a little solo at some point." He shares an anecdote about driving through Brooklyn while listening to Throbbing Gristle's Hamburger Lady, where a nearby car alarm synced perfectly with the song's rhythm, illustrating how the outside environment bleeds into music. However, his catalogue also features counterbalancing moments, such as the droning track Colony, where he raps over a repeated bass figure and sustained organ chord, highlighting the importance of finding pockets to slow down and be present.
On his newest record, I Guess U Had to Be There, a collaboration with Swiss producer Sebb Bash, Elucid relinquishes production duties, praising Bash as "a super talented guy with an exceptional ear." The album retains a woozy, layered, psychedelic feel, enveloping listeners in sound, though it's less serrated than Elucid's own productions. "I think that's what's special about our thing," he says. "I'm rapping over sounds that maybe don't make sense to some people." This project was worked on between sessions for the heavier Revelator and Armand Hammer's latest album with the Alchemist, Mercy, allowing Elucid to channel more upbeat, celebratory feelings about life.
Artistic Philosophy and the Joy of Rapping
Elucid's verses often spill out in a stream of consciousness, with each word seeming to appear from the ether. While his work can be complex and esoteric, he doesn't prioritize audience comprehension over artistic expression. "When it don't rhyme, there's a reason / I climbed a tree before they flattened all meaning," he raps on Fainting Goats, emphasizing that searching for deeper meaning can sometimes sap music of its vitality. He finds joy in the malleable rhythms and wordplay of rapping about rapping itself, stating, "You're putting words together stylishly and it doesn't have to have a structure or moral centre. It just has to sound fly."
As he raises his daiquiri for a toast, Elucid smiles and laughs, celebrating the simplicity of life and sound. His music continues to explore the intersections of urban noise, personal resilience, and experimental hip-hop, offering a unique lens on New York's sonic landscape. I Guess U Had to Be There is now available on Backwoodz Studioz, inviting listeners into his world of harmonious chaos.
