By: Mason Stoutamire
Cover Art for Mach-Hommy's 'Balens Cho (Hot Candles)' from his Soundcloud.
There’s something about Mach-Hommy’s ‘Balens Cho (Hot Candles)’ that keeps me playing it whenever I can. There are rappers that rep their city or shout out their whole team in the outro but very few make their home country the main focus of an entire album. The New Jersey-born emcee’s acclaimed “Pray for Haiti” (2021) made waves in the music industry for its authenticity and attention to Haiti’s faltering economy, racial turmoil, and his own rich lineage to the country. With roots to Port Au Prince, the intellectual and political capital of Haiti, Mach-Hommy goes further in the 13-track LP. He explores this second-generation experience on “Wooden Nickels,” a track cautious of empty promises: “I seen the same thing happen to my Pops / He was bout to set me up but when he died, it stopped / Sounds so grim but it’s so true / They hit me with the ‘I owe him, I don’t owe you.’”
The slowed assonance tells the story of a failed attempt at achieving generational wealth, a huge asset to those striving toward the American dream (or, rather, the idea of it…). Mach-Hommy doesn’t need to outrap any legends or carry a huge media presence. All he’s interested in is paying homage to his roots at his own speed. Despite being the final album released in his 2021 run, ‘Balens Cho (Hot Candles)’ deserves its respect as one of the most focused, genuine rap albums of this generation.
Mason Stoutamire can be reached at mstoutamire6@gmail.com
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