Das Racist Interview: SXSW 2010

Das Racist's cheeky wit propelled them to the top of indie hip-hop in 2009 with stoner hymns including 'Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell' and 'Chicken and Meat,' both being greatly praised by critics and fans alike. The New York Times even stated that the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based group's tracks are "instantly appealing." Recently, Spinner sat down with the SXSW-bound Victor Vazquez, Himanshu "Hima" Suri and Ashok "Dap" Kondabolu to talk about White Castle hamburgers, Abba and how Das Racist got their name.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Victor Vazquez: It's like a danceable '80s-type vibe, like An Art of Noise-type deal. I would say it's a freakout version of An Art of Noise.

Hima Suri: I would call it rap music -- one word: rap.

How did your band form?

HS: We officially formed in Brooklyn a year-and-a-half ago: Victor and I had met in college. Dap and I met in high school.

VV: We formed together like Power Rangers!

What are your musical influences?

HS: I would say the sound of the wind on the Long Island shore at night.

VV: Definitely the sound of wind in general.

Dap Kondabolu: Hmm, I would say a sound of wind that influences me is the steam release sound a subway makes [he makes a swooshing crash sound]. That sound is how I feel every day.

How did you come up with your band name?

HS: Basically, I lived with one of our main producers, who went to Wesleyan [University] with Victor and myself. We got bored of talking about race in a very serious way. For whatever reason, we made a game out of the idea of calling out something random as offensive. [It began with us] yelling, "That's racist!" at the television all the time. That's when we sort of started using humor as a tool to talk about serious s---.

What's your biggest vice?

VV: They tell me my biggest vice is dippin' out early from a party to bang it out with someone.

HS: I wouldn't say that. I would say yours is being a grimy dude [laughs].

DK: Mine is definitely smoking cigarettes and, uh, that's it!

VV: Oh, and I'd say gossiping!

DK: Gossip! All three of us love gossiping; we love gossip so much.

VV: I would also say chewing my nails -- I have a big nail-chewing problem.

Who was your first celeb crush?

VV: My first one ever was Christina Ricci.

DK: I thought Geena Davis was fine when I saw 'A League of Their Own' when I was a kid.

HS: An Indian actress, Madhuri Dixit.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

VV: I don't have guilty pleasures -- I love guilt! [Dap and Hima laugh.]

What are your thoughts on Abba?

VV: We love Abba, that's definitely not a guilty pleasure. I heard a story that when one of the chicks from Abba heard 'Dancing Queen' for the first time, she just burst out in tears because it was so beautiful. That's when she was presented with the instrumental track for the first time. She just started crying.

DK: That's such an ill song. [The trio sing 'Dancing Queen.']

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced on tour?

DK: Since I'm the hype man, I jump around a lot onstage while Hima and Victor rap. I was joking this one day before a show about how I was going to hit my head over a cymbal while I was covered in blood. I thought that I was joking -- maybe I wasn't joking [laughs]. So anyway, we were doing this set in Park Slope[, Brooklyn,] at the After the Jump festival last year. This other band had left their drum kit onstage prior to their performance. So during our set, I began hitting my head against the cymbals -- I was really out of it.

VV: You were feeling it!

DK: Yeah, I was feeling it all right. Anyway, I didn't realize one of the cymbals had been disassembled from its stand. So the stand was there as part of the kit with no cymbal.

Oh, no! What happened then?

DK: In the midst of my wilding, I go down towards the exposed cymbal stand and I just felt something caught in my head for a quarter of a second or so. I pull up, and blood just starts pouring from my forehead. I was like, "Fuck it, this is fun, this is what I wanted," so I continued jumping around and they made us stop the show. The band that played after us gave me a free shirt because I was covered in blood.

Afterwards, we all went to a party at a friend's place and Solange Knowles was there, so was Caroline [Polachek] from Chairlift. I didn't know who anyone was, I was just bleeding through my head and I approached Solange, not knowing who she was. I began talking to her about why I had a bandage on my head. She did not respond.

How often do you eat at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut?

VV: I haven't eaten there in like two years at this point. I went to a White Castle pretty recently. I like Taco Bell sometimes, but it's kind of gross.

DK: I honestly think all of that s--- is f---ing disgusting. Pizza Hut is ok.

What's in your festival survival kit?

DK: Socks!

VV: Mad clean socks.

HS: Good vibes. Definitely just positive energy and good times.

DK: Cheap cigarettes and loads of vibes -- and tea! Loose jasmine green tea or gunpowder green tea.

What specifically are you looking forward to about SXSW?

VV, HS, DK: Getting out of New York!

VV: I would also say hanging out with white girls in the sunlight. The barbecue is probably going to be all right.

DK: I'm looking forward to finding a porcelain-skinned red-haired beauty but not talking to her.

Why not?

DK: Oh you know why: Look at me! [All three laugh.]


Ken Bachor is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.