Balens Cho album art via publicist.
Mach-Hommy has shared a new album titled Balens Cho (Haitian Creole for "Hot Candles"). He self-released the project late Saturday night.
The Newark-based ex-Griselda member is one of the most versatile rappers alive. In May, he dropped a career-defining opus, Pray for Haiti, full of deep character studies, social commentary, and all-around excellent bars, both in English and in Haitian Creole. His chameleonic ability to slide from persona to persona and change his tone and flow accordingly made the album one of the year's best. And on November track "$prayforhaiti," from Kaytranada's Intimidated EP, he proved himself more than capable of crushing a club-ready beat.
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On Balens Cho, Mach returns to the no-nonsense bars and old-school production of projects past. Frequent collaborator Nicolas Craven is credited as producer on four of its eight songs. (The record also features five short clips from old movies and/or radio plays with Haitian settings and imperialist undertones. As if to counteract these toxic takes, Mach inserts clips on how "all space programs are from Africa" into several songs.) Album highlights include "MAGNUM BAND REMIX" — which features a verse from AA Rashid and production credited to the late, great Ras G — "SEPERATION OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS" (produced by Craven), and "WOODEN NICKLES," where Mach spits over dreamy saxophone licks from Sam Gendel and a piano beat by Fortes. Listen below.
