Relax
There's been plenty of joke rap throughout the years. Two Live Jews come to mind. And The Trilambs. And those 2 Live Crew idiots. The questions is whether Das Racist really fits into that category. On the surface, yeah, they seem kinda jokey, but when you get down and listen, there's more to them than jokes. What these guys have here is kind of the rap equivalent of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues.’ There’s this kind of rhyming stream of consciousness that they do where one idea starts and then transforms into another by what seems like sheer accident of syllabic and verb-sound matching. And taken in its parts, there really doesn’t seem to be anything there but this verbal wordplay (however fun it may be). But taken as a whole and a lot of imagination, one can discern something beyond just goofy verbal gymnastics in their message. What that is, I haven’t the slightest. I just don’t feel like putting the work in, as I’m having so much fun just listening to all the bizarre sounds, hysterical turns of phrase and just plain difference between this and all the cock-rap and slangin’ shite out there now. Or even the new “sensitive” stuff and whoa-is-me brought by our buddy Krazy Kanye and Mr. Sensitive guy, Lil’ Wayne. And not even a single guest track by Drake! |
Shut Up, Dude |
Sit Down, Man
I love free music. Unfortunately without
the help of illegal download sites (which I would never do working
for a record company and everything) or the occasional generosity
of friends or co-workers, I’m left with the glory of the mixtape.
Granted, those are often a mixed bag. They tend to have as much
garbage as they have music. Mixtape dudes are always coming
in and plugging their crews, producers, barbers, drug dealers,
etc. And that’s where this new one from Das Racist deviates.
Much in the same vain as The Cool
Kids, these guys are all about wordplay and mixing pop culture
with high culture (or low culture in the case of throwing in
an Anne Coulter mention) in a nice hipster package that most
likely appeals way more to white guys like me (though younger)
than it does to true hip-hop heads. To their credit, there is
little junk thrown in here through 20 tracks and it’s instantly
catchy and entertaining. It’s not often that you find an Indian
dude and Cuban/Italian guy from Wesleyan getting together to
make a decent rap album (in fact, probably never), but these
guys are the real deal. With their slightly lazy delivery and
goofy subject matter, they may appeal more the white college
stoner crowd, but not everyone can be… Wait, who the hell DOES
have street cred these days? |
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