Das Racist’s Heems releases socially-aware mixtape

Three years ago, Heems and the rest of Das Racist unleashed a style rooted in mainstream rap but decidedly close to their progressive multicultural roots in Brooklyn… Nehru Jackets

Heems

Greedhead Music & Seva NY

Rocks like: Das Racist, El-P, Bollywood

Grade: A

Three years ago, Heems and the rest of Das Racist unleashed a style rooted in mainstream rap but decidedly close to their progressive multicultural roots in Brooklyn.

With his first solo mixtape, Nehru Jackets, Himanshu Suri, aka Heems, has taken both of those elements and channeled them into a collection that reflects his deep commitment to hip-hop, his hometown and himself.

The opening track, “Thug Handles,” readies the listeners’ ears with the words, “Real talk, real talk, real talk,” over an ’80s drum machine and darkly choppy synthesizers. When Heems actually gets to his rhymes, he delivers them with an incredible sense of cunning that will make you laugh and then think about what you’ve heard for half an hour.

“I don’t got love handles,” he raps, “I got thug handles.”

Heems is at his most scathing on tracks like “NYC Cops,” on which he brutally outlines his views on the New York Police Department. Sampling the Strokes’ “New York City Cops,” it transcends that track to become a lyrical juggernaut. Throughout the song, Heems makes specific references to people killed by New York City police, such as Timothy Stansbury, an unarmed 19-year-old who was shot to death by police in 2004.

“That was ’94, he was one of three bodies,” Heems raps about another death. “Under Giuliani, well, they had them a party.” In addition to his own lyrical push, Heems employs a few other gifted rappers’, including the talents of Kool A.D. and Childish Gambino, the stage name of actor Donald Glover of NBC’s popular serires “Community.”

Danny Brown, a Detroit emcee, appears on “You Have to Ride the Wave” and almost steals the show. Brown’s unique ruminations on cunnilingus and cocaine are delivered in a tone that mirrors his off-kilter persona and instantly stands out as something that’s a little unusual in the rap game.

The two-part “Womyn” is a quasi-feminist highlight. Over an innocent beat, Heems explores ideas about the female sex with his own self-reflexive commentary, skipping between binaries and “90210.”

“They like to watch shows,” he raps. “Some of them don’t — they like to read prose / Some of them like to date pros.” Though the song oscillates between light and heavy issues, it clearly has something profound at its heart.

Co-released through Seva NY, a group that seeks to unite neighbors and address common critical needs throughout New York City, the mixtape is more than a token gesture. Tracks like “Chakklo” feature young members of the organization rapping in Punjabi. Though English speakers likely won’t understand what they’re saying, their recitation is consistently entertaining and their presence is powerful in and of itself.

Throughout the album, the production by Mike Finito incorporates Indian and American elements in a synthesis that strengthens both musical cultures. “Coca Cola Freestyle” sees Heems extemporaneously rap, “Three shots of whiskey with no Coca-Cola,” while an sultry voice sings Bollywood tones for the hook.

It might only be a mixtape, but Nehru Jackets is a testament to Heems’ hip-hop integrity. This isn’t alternative rap, it’s mainstream rap that does its own thing.