Armand Hammer in Tucson

Armand Hammer is an American experimental hip-hop duo formed in New York in 2013 by rappers billy woods and ELUCID. They are known for dense, elliptical writing over stark production on albums including Race Music, Paraffin and Shrines. Their catalog also includes Haram, produced by the Alchemist, and We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. In 2021, Armand Hammer performed at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago during the album cycle for Haram. Following the release of We Buy Diabetic Test Strips in 2023, they toured clubs and theatres in North America and Europe; those dates included New York and London.

Open Mike Eagle is a Chicago-born American rapper and producer associated with Los Angeles art rap and underground hip-hop. His writing mixes close observation, humor and autobiography; key releases include Dark Comedy, Brick Body Kids Still Daydream and Anime, Trauma and Divorce. Open Mike Eagle and comedian Baron Vaughn developed The New Negroes as a recurring live showcase at The Virgil in Los Angeles, pairing stand-up sets with rap performances before it became a Comedy Central series. He later performed material from Brick Body Kids Still Daydream in a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR.