Song You Need: Mach-Hommy, Tha God Fahim, and Your Old Droog serve up some “Food Grade” rap

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Mach-Hommy has the kind of talent that defies gravity. How could an anonymous New Jersey rapper, who sold some of his early releases for $1,000, keep such a compelling balance of impenetrable mystique and enormous talent years after his debut? The answer, I think, is confidence: Mach-Hommy has a depth of belief in his vision and definition of what constitutes success that is out of reach for most artists, not just rappers. Pray For Haiti, Hommy's 2021 album, brought him to a wider audience than ever, but projects released in 2022 – Wap Konn Jòj! and the just surprise-released Dollar Menu 4 – show faith in a winning formula.

"Food Grade," the seventh track on the tape, shows just how contagious Hommy's energy can be. It's the only project on the song without drums, yet begins with a blast of crackly, vintage soul on the beat, suggesting the announcement of the project's definitive and most engaging statement. That's thanks in part to the contributions of Tha God Fahim and Your Old Droog, frequent Hommy collaborators who glide over the beat with whip-smart braggadocio and dismissals that will have you covering your eyes like you just saw a body drop. Hommy hovers over the song like a conductor, diving in like a bird of prey between Fahim and Droog's verses. "We represent the lost child of Shabazz," Hommy raps, carving a line in the sand so hot that glass forms. By the time Hommy closes out the song with another electric verse, it's clear that "Food Grade" is as nourishing to the rappers performing it as it is for the listener.