Lil B (The Based God) and Das Racist
with DJ Expressway Yo-Yo Dieting
Saturday, July 24, 2010
7:00 PM 18+
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
LIL B
When the Bay Area’s E-40, already an established hip-hop legend, introduced the “hyphy” genre to the mainstream in 2006, it allowed for the emergence a new generation of unpredictable, off-kilter and furiously energetic artists . Perhaps the most notable of the newcomers was a group of teenagers who called themselves The Pack. They were precocious in carving out a niche within the style, using stripped down beats and short quirky hooks that intrigued their way into the listener’s psyche. Their single “Vans” was called one of the “Best songs of 2006” by
Rolling Stone magazine . Energized by this young success, the group’s most ostentatious member Brandon “Lil B” McCartney began heavily recording and promoting his own solo material. Since late 2009 he has released four full-length albums (two retail, two full-length downloads), published a book and has positioned himself as one of hip-hop’s most talked about new personas.
As indicated by the subtitle of his book Takin’ Over, the ethic behind McCartney’s work is the drive to “impose the positive.” Lyrically he eschews the bloodlust that plagues rap music, instead opting for celebratory anthems, affirmations of individuality, and introspective tracks that reflect honestly on life’s tribulations and his experience with violent crime. He has co-opted the term “based”, a reference to amphetamines, using it to describe the courage to be oneself, which he demonstrates with abandon. Often proclaiming himself a “princess” and releasing tracks with titles like “I’m A Fag I’m A Lesbian,” he has made disintegrating the black male thug stereotype his mission. He told
Complex, “Society says you’re supposed to do this, and you’re supposed to do it this way, you know you’re supposed to look like this. We’re a new generation of people. We need to be happy. We need to love each other. We need to accept each other for who we are and stop judging each other.”
Lil B’s hustle is unmatched in its persistence, which should be apparent to anyone on Twitter, Youtube or the online hip-hop zines. The originality and addictiveness of McCartney’s tracks justify every keystroke. He perpetuates the hyphy sense of humor and melds it with up-to-date dirty south beats, some of his own making and others from carefully selected producers. He has released about 50 music videos and has established a rapport with Soulja Boy’s SOD squad with collaborations soon to follow. His live show at Santos Party House will be his first headlining gig in New York City and his most significant appearance here since Summer Jam 2009.Tickets are selling quick, history is being made…
DAS RACIST
Currently the most sought-after force in experimental hip-hop Das Racist is a trio that rejects any posturing whatsoever in lieu of confronting the truth, however brutal or hilarious it may be, on top of bizarre electro production. Their breakout single "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" has become rap music's most successful foray into absurdism. But the real meat of their lyrical repertoire are the densely constructed and prophetic commentaries on imperialism in the Gawker era, as well as hilarious multi-syllabic thought trains as unpredictable as the subways for which they are written.
The group began as a casual project by Boy Crisis singer Victor Vasquez and Greedhead Management founder Himanshu Suri based on the the mic skills they honed together in college. While Vasquez is also known for his beloved
Majestic Dragon series and Suri for managing acts like (The) Tony Castles and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Das Racist have become the underground music’s most notorious provocateurs, rocking shows with the likes of Dam-Funk, Tame Impala, Andrew W.K., Brahms, Passion Pit, and their spiritual guide Ashok “Dap” Kondabolu. Their mixtape
Shut Up, Dude (Mishka) went hood platinum and prompted
Spin to call them “hyper-earnest tacticians, using hip-hop's language of identity politricks to sift through pop culture's perpetual spew.” You can catch them up in TimeOut Magazine as a couple of the “most stylish New Yorkers,” filling venues at SXSW and nearly every major music festival running, verbally sparring with Sasha Frere-Jones, or behind the scenes at The Colbert Report
icing Devo.
