Das Racist
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Himanshu Suri, Victor Vazquez |
| Defunct | December 2012 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York , United States |
| Products | Music albums, mixtapes |
Das Racist was a Brooklyn-based American alternative hip hop ensemble composed of MCs Heems and Kool A.D., alongside hype man Dapwell. They became recognized for their witty lyrics, intellectual allusions, and distinctive approach, emerging as an innovative voice in rap despite initial categorization as novelty rap.
Their breakthrough came online with the 2008 single "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell", and they reinforced their reputation through the 2010 mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man. Spin featured them among fifty promising acts at the 2010 SXSW festival, while MTV Iggy included them in the "25 Best New Bands in the World". Rolling Stone listed their track "Hahahaha jk?" from Sit Down, Man among the top fifty singles of 2010.
Their sole studio album, Relax, released in September 2011, appeared on multiple year-end best album compilations by outlets like Rolling Stone and Spin, which ranked it fourth among rap albums that year. Das Racist graced the cover of Spin's November 2011 issue accompanied by a feature penned by comedian Hari Kondabolu. Their national television debut occurred on Conan in November 2011.
During December 2012 at Munich's PULS Festival, Heems declared the group's dissolution. Kool A.D. confirmed his exit the next day; however, the reasons behind the split and the fate of unreleased works remain undisclosed.
History
Formation
Suri and Vazquez first connected in 2003 while attending Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Vazquez served as Suri's resident advisor in a dormitory focused on "students of color for social justice." After graduating and relocating to New York City, they established Das Racist. Soon after, Kondabolu—who had known Suri from their time at New York's Stuyvesant High School—joined as hype man. Both Suri and Kondabolu hail from Queens, New York, with Indian heritage; Vazquez originates from the San Francisco Bay Area with Afro-Cuban and Italian ancestry. Additionally, Vazquez is involved with the power-pop group Boy Crisis.
Name origin
In spring 2009, when Das Racist (then comprising Himanshu and Vazquez) participated in an interview for their alma mater Wesleyan University's Midterm Magazine—a project linked to their musc108 course—Heems elaborated on how their name was conceived: Template:Blockquote
"Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" (2008–2009)
Das Racist initially attracted attention through their song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell". By November 2008, The Guardian recognized them as a "funny and funky duo" worth following. In March 2009, electronic artist Dan Deacon praised the track in XLR8R magazine as "a timeless piece." Meanwhile, Death & Taxes magazine described it as "an existential reflection on consumer identity within corporate America," blending juvenile humor with depth. After their performance at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon, The New York Times characterized their set as "deliberately chaotic yet engaging," merging erudite references with self-aware charm.
Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man (2010)
Their debut mixtape, Shut Up, Dude, was released for free download in March 2010 to favorable critiques. It earned a 7.8 rating from Pitchfork, commended for its inventive take on rap—melding humor, skillful lyricism, and urban cultural nods without conforming to any specific scene.
For the track "Who's That? Brooown?" which samples A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario," Das Racist introduced an 8-bit style video game where Suri and Vazquez traverse New York City boroughs searching for Kondabolu. The game incorporated references to 1980s pop culture such as Double Dragon and Back to the Future. Pitchfork ranked this video among its top forty of 2010 selections; it was also showcased at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Half a year later, on September 14, 2010, they released their second mixtape, Sit Down, Man, again available freely. This project received even higher praise: an 8 from Spin and an 8.7 plus "Best New Music" distinction from Pitchfork. Within its first week, it amassed over 250,000 downloads. Collaborators featured included El-P, Despot, Vijay Iyer, and Chairlift, with production contributions by Diplo, Dame Grease, Sabzi of Blue Scholars, and Boi-1da.
Relax (2011)
Their debut commercial album, Relax, was released on September 13, 2011 through Suri's own label Greedhead Music. Production credits include Diplo, El-P, Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend, and Anand Wilder of Yeasayer. Guest features encompass El-P, rapper Danny Brown, musician Bikram Singh, and Despot. Das Racist described this album as a more accessible "pop record." Although receiving a mixed review from Pitchfork, it garnered generally positive feedback such as an 8/10 score from Spin. The album reached number one on both iTunes' Hip Hop/Rap chart and Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart in the U.S. Additionally, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 28 among their top fifty albums of 2011 and placed its single "Girl" at No. 34 on their best singles list for that year. Meanwhile, Spin positioned it fourth on their Best Rap Albums of 2011 list and sixteenth overall.
Deal with Sony and second studio album (2012)
At Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 9, 2012, Das Racist announced intentions to begin work on their sophomore album with material already prepared. During season two of the series A Day in the Life, they recorded "People All Over the World" while interacting with Philip Glass and Lou Reed; Reed invited them to open for his European tour. They also performed at Glass's Tibet House charity event held at Carnegie Hall. In July that year, Das Racist signed a deal with Sony/Megaforce Records for their upcoming album; shortly thereafter their song "Girl" appeared in a Kmart commercial.
Breakup
In December 2012 at Munich's On3 Festival event, Heems publicly declared that Das Racist had disbanded; Kool A.D. later disclosed he had departed two months earlier. This breakup followed signing a record contract and plans for a formal album release accompanied by a farewell tour. Dapwell noted that initial plans included issuing a humorous breakup statement alongside a concluding tour; however these did not materialize. Vazquez explained that divergent professional goals and artistic directions contributed to the split.
Afterward, Suri released two mixtapes titled "Nehru Jackets" and "Wild Water Kingdom," collaborating with producers such as Mike Finito, Keyboard Kid, and Lushlife. Vazquez embarked on an extensive solo career producing over sixty mixtapes including notable projects like "51," "19," and "63," supported by producers Amaze88 and Trackademicks. Dapwell maintained activity through Twitter engagement; he co-produced a podcast with comedian Hari Kondabolu, co-hosted the radio show Chillin' Island alongside Despot, and developed two comedic television programs.
Work in other media
Beyond music production, Das Racist has been characterized as a "multimedia art project." At the close of 2010, Pitchfork acknowledged their varied endeavors including Suri’s column for Stereogum covering the sitcom Outsourced, their interview conducted by The New York Times journalist Deborah Solomon, plus an appearance on “Our Show With Elliot Aronow” where they discussed topics such as Lady Gaga and conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati.
Responding to Sasha Frere-Jones’s critical article about hip hop’s decline published in The New Yorker in 2009, Das Racist challenged his assertions via posts on the blog Flavorpill, disputing his expertise and conclusions.
In December of that year they curated “Minority Fest,” organized by the Kondabolu Brothers. This event showcased emerging stand-up comedians including Victor Varnado, Jay Smooth, Kumail Nanjiani, Ali Wong, and Hari Kondabolu himself; it also featured musical acts along with panel discussions addressing obstacles faced by artists of color.
Prior to releasing Relax, Das Racist initiated a radio program called "Chillin' Island" broadcast on East Village Radio. Following the album launch Dapwell transformed "Chillin' Island" into a web video series starring himself with co-hosting and production contributions from Heems and rapper Despot.
In 2021 HBO premiered ’’Chillin Island,’’ starring Kondabolu with production by Elara Pictures alongside DreamCrew.
Style
Das Racist’s unique style often divided audiences; their performance at Pop Montreal in 2009 was described as “the most polarizing show” during that festival. They characterize their sound as "'deconstructionalist': dismantling hip-hop conventions even while celebrating them." According to The New York Times, they embrace an aesthetic marked by irreverence toward traditional reverence for hip-hop culture by blending critique with participation. The Root suggested they could represent both urban neighborhoods or affluent gated communities alike. In an article by Playboy, they were portrayed as combining elements of hip-hop culture with comedic influences reminiscent of Cheech & Chong. In one interview Suri explained:
Our music isn’t designed for immediate appeal. We incorporate non-sequiturs, dadaism, repetition—we create danceable tracks while discussing topics not typically associated with dance music. Our lyrics may seem silly superficially but often conceal genuine dissatisfaction beneath. Few listeners expect rappers to reference figures like Dinesh D'Souza or Gayatri Spivak; many hear “Pizza Hut Taco Bell” then misinterpret our entire body of work.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Heat. | ||||
| 2011 | Relax |
|
111 | 15 | 1 | |
Mixtapes
- Shut Up, Dude (2010)
- Sit Down, Man (2010)
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Michael Jackson" | Relax |
Guest appearances
- Keepaway – “Zoo Too” from Kompetitor (2010)
- Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire – “The Last Huzzah!” from Lost in Translation (2011)
- Lakutis – “Wifey” from I'm in the Forest (2011)
- BBU – “Please, No Pictures” from Bell Hooks (2012)
- Action Bronson & Party Supplies – “Arts & Leisure” from Blue Chips (2012)
- Big Baby Gandhi – “Blue Magic” from No1 2 Look Up 2 (2012)
- The Coup – “WAVIP” from Sorry to Bother You (2012)
- Busdriver – “Fire Hydrant” from Arguments with Dreams (2012)
- Talib Kweli & Z-Trip – “I Like It” from Attack the Block (2012)