Das Racist is a Brooklyn-based, hip-hop duo comprised of Himanshu Suri and Victor Vazquez. After seeing them perform at the Brooklyn Bowl a couple weeks ago, I got a chance to ask them a few questions.

STREET CARNAGE: So where’d you get the name Das Racist?

HIMA: Uhhh, from the back of a cereal carton.

Which cereal?

H: LIFE! The cereal of Life. It said that it was one of the things in life that you would have to deal with. There’s a list of things in life you may or may have not to deal with and one of the things — number seven, I believe if I recall correctly — was “Das Racist.”

V: “Das racist.”

H: “Life is racist,” you know.

V: Also, you know how there’s two types of cereal? Life and cinnamon Life? We’re more like cinnamon Life, I would say.

‘Cause it’s spicy? A little bit spicy?

V: Yeah, because it’s spicy, kind of.

H: Yeah, somehow the rap game reminds me of the spice game.

V: Cinnamon is the spice of life.

H: There were wars over cinnamon back in the day.

V: It used to be like the crack of — you know it was like the first crack really because it made all the food stay good for longer.

H: I would say saffron and cardamom along with cinnamon –

V: — are the spices of life.

H: Are the spices of life.

How do you feel about Playboy saying you’re equal parts hip hop and equal parts Cheech and Chong?

V: We’re just equal parts hip-hop.

What about Cheech and Chong?

[moment of silence and blank stares]

You don’t know who they are?

H: No, we know. We don’t do drugs. We don’t touch that stuff.

Hima was on those buffalo wings like whoa.

So what motivates you to do what you do?

H: I really do this for my mom and dad, for my brothers and my sisters.

They know what you’re doing?

H: Oh, they definitely do. Yeah I train. I’m trying to run four or five miles a day. I do a lot of push-ups and sit-ups. I’m just trying to get my body right because my body is a temple. And get my mind right because my mind is also a temple. Mind, body, and soul — it’s all for hip hop. Me on a daily basis –

[taxi slows to a crawl next to us and cab driver smiles ]

H: — yo what up man? — things like world hunger and poverty and I wake up every day like, who am I to not rap ironically to kids that I probably wouldn’t kick it with 100 percent? Who am I to do that when there are kids starving in India and Lima, Peru?

Taking off those Supra kicks because when they step on stage, it’s sacred ground.

Did you grow up there?

H: Yeah.

V: We both grew up in Lima, Peru. That’s where we met.

H: Well, I met him when I was abroad in Lima, Peru but I actually grew up in uh –

V: You always told me you grew up in Lima.

H:‘Cause you’re Latino and I’m Indian.

V: And you just wanted to survive. I must forgive you for that, man, because actually we’ve had some good times together.

H: I mean, I speak Spanish very well so it’s not like it’s your fault.

V: Yeah no, yeah, it’s there. That’s fine.

So you’re both from different cultures?

V: Yeah, we’re from –

H: No, it’s ONE culture and it’s HIP-HOP, you know?

V: It’s the four elements. Five, six, seven –

[another taxi stops in front of us]

H: We good, Sam.

V: Yeah, we fine. Thanks though. Why does everyone think we need a cab right now?

H: I don’t know. ‘Cause we’re standing on a street corner?

V: With a –

H: — with a laaaadyyyy. ‘Sup?

Flannel dance party in the crowd.

Haha, who are some of your major inspirations?

H: Bob Dylan.

V: Yeah, lots and lots of Bob Dylan. He’s the man.

No one else?

H: No, just Bob Dylan.

So what are you guys up to right now? Booking tours? Recording new music?

V: We got this new joint.

H: We just got signed to XL.

V: We got signed to XL and we got this new project called Spanish Broad so we’re trying to do two.

H: No, we didn’t get signed to XL.

V: Yeah.

H: Just kidding.

Vic demonstrates unconventional hip-hop drumming steez.

Do you want to get signed though?

V: Yeah, to XL.

H: Yeah, holla at me, XL.

V: They know what they did.

H: Straight up.

V: No no, but Spanish Broad is a noise jam band that we’ve got going on.

H: And now we’re starting a new thing but we can’t talk about it.

Unconventional hip hop drumming steez part two

Do you two have any side projects going on?

V: Well, I’m in another group called Boy Crisis.

Oh, I watched that music video recently! The flying part looked like so much fun.

V: Yeah [Boy Crisis] just released released an album and finished a music video.

No shoes on some barefoot steez

H: OK, this interview is over. [starts walking away]

Oh no, this interview’s over? I’m going to get fired.

V: No, no Hima. Let’s do like two more questions. Three more.

H: OK, really quickly.

So what’s the message you guys are trying to send out to the youth of today?

H: “Calm down. Calm the fuck down.”

V: “Shut up, dude.”

H: “Shut up and calm down.”

V: “Chill the fuck out, bro.”

H: “Sit still for a minute and just shut up and calm down. A lot of people got it worse than you, bitch.”

Do you really think that’s how the kids feel today?

H: Eh, I don’t know.

V: Yeah, you can’t really prescribe to anything.

Juicy backstage action

Give me your favorite rap lyrics.

H: This interview is over.

V: [laughter] “It’s like i’m fighting for freedom!”

H: Nah, my favorite rap lyric is “Step up in the party like my name Himanshu Suri.”

V: I like how Nas is like half rejuvenation.

H: I like how Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian.

In case of fire

He’s Asian?

H: You didn’t know that?

V: Yeah. he’s half black and half Japanese. He never talks about it though. You should think about it.

I don’t give a fuck, I’m not Japanese. Anyway, if you could leave some words of wisdom, something to live by, for the readers at Street Carnage, what would it be?

H: “Shut up, dude.”

V: “Chill out. Sit still. Calm down.”

H: Yeah, “It’s just a comment board.”

V: What?

H: “It’s just a comment board, guys!”

V: [laughter]

Well, thank you for the interview. Sorry it was so unprofessional.

V: No, I think it was the best interview we ever had. Come with us and drink.

What do you guys drink?

V: Uhhh, mostly vodka.

Catch Das Racist’s next show on November 17th at Santo’s Party House. Guaranteed it will be the “best of times and worst of times. A combination best of times and worst of times.”

-VAL
twitter.com/valuhrey

Related posts:

1. INTERVIEW WITH DESPOT FROM DEF JUX
2. DAS RACIST
3. DEAR STREET CARNAGE: MID-LADY-LIFE CRISIS
4. STREET CARNAGE RADIO: DAS RACIST
5. HOW TO UNRACIST A RACIST BABY