Brooklyn three-piece cheeky rappers Das Racist released two mixtapes last year Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man . This week, the trio (Heems, Kool AD and Dap) released an album proper that they want you to buy called Relax. It features production from Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly, Diplo, Blood Diamonds, El-P , Rostam Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer’s Anand Wilder.
Relax is a 14-track collection of crass, referential, fun, dumb party rap songs with hyper-exuberant synth productions. Lead single ‘Michael Jackson’ is a prime example. A chorus hook that goes “Michael Jackson! One million dollars! You feel me?’. It’s complete nonsense but it’s got great lines like “Yeh I’m fucking good at raaaaaapppppiiiiing” set to a hyperactive beat (the just-released video actually detracts from the song IMO) . Other highlights are the Blood Diamonds-produced steel-drum ‘Girl’, the El-P featuring ‘Shut Up, Man’ (with what sounds like a sample from Beastie Boys’ ‘So What’cha Want’) and ‘Power’ with Danny Brown and Despot.
Album of the week then, no doubt helped by this album’s breezy accessibility and lack of seriousness – something I certainly needed this week to get me through work mountain. Relax is on Spotify or you can buy it on inSound.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Funny dudes!