Known for their use of humor, obscure references, and unconventional style, Das Racist has been both dismissed as joke rap and hailed as an urgent new voice in rap. Spin magazine picked Das Racist as one of 50 acts to watch at the 2010 SXSW festival, and in April 2010, MTV Iggy selected Das Racist as one of the "25 Best New Bands in the World". Rolling Stone declared the song "hahahaha jk?" from Sit Down, Man one of the fifty best singles of 2010.
Das Racist's unique style has a strong polarizing tendency; their set at the Pop Montreal festival was described as "the most divisive show seen at the festival". They describe their approach to music as "'deconstructionalist': sawing the legs out from under hip-hop as they celebrate it".The New York Times wrote "Das Racist’s lack of piety has become an aesthetic of its own, with songs that are as much commentary on hip-hop as rigorous practice of it". The Root said Das Racist could speak for both "the ‘hood or the nearest gated community." Playboy called the duo "equal parts hip-hop and Cheech & Chong".
In December 2012, statements made by members of Das Racist made apparent that the band had broken up.
Happy Rappy
Das Racist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Das Racist! Ha! That's ridiculous!
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty
Get that guap, get that money
Meathead, street cred
Weed edge, Greedhead
Waka Flocka Fonzie
Sippin' Dom P, don glassage on Africa
Buddhist zooted, they write down my Agatha Christie mysteries
Officer Rick Ross, gold chain Mr. T's
Open every cell at Attica, sellin' Acuras, it's a commercial
Room full of Draculas, big commercial
Which little idiot wanna throw a piggy bank of more, much more?
Paid for Rushmore, Larry Johnson, the best first godson
Terry cloth Kangol, ____, go piss on Dodge Durango
Rango, Johnny Depp in it, Bay reppin' it
Alameda, don't step in it
Used to stay there, now I stay where young Icarus went to daycare
Hey, there! All you little kids better play fair!
Yo, yo, this shit is too much, kid!
One day I'll roll up and be like "What up, kid?
I'm fitter, happier, more productive!"
Until then I lay home and bump this "Loveless"
Yeah, that's My Bloody Valentine
Forty cracker, don't call it My Bloody Balentine
Call it my bloody country club
Hindu thuggee come from blood
Won't stop yellin' 'til I'm comfortable
Tumblr full, wonderful
Keep it one hundred, I'mma die, like, ten times
Be the first to run if I hear some lead fly
Same by the Bed-Stuy(?)
Stack chips with the Vegas
I'll kill 'em with the
I'll kill 'em with the
Hello, yes, it's happy rappy!
This is what you're hearing right now, actually
The lyrics of "Happy Rappy" by Das Racist are somewhat cryptic and can be interpreted in different ways. The song opens up with a series of numbers from one to twenty, which are repeated three times. This could represent counting money and perhaps a nod to their own success in the music industry. The following lines include references to different pop culture icons like Charles Ponzi, Fonz from Happy Days, and Rick Ross, among others, which seems to suggest that these icons are easily replaceable and commodified in the entertainment industry. This idea is further elaborated in the line "sellin' Acuras, it's a commercial," which speaks to the commercialization of culture.
The song then goes on to explore themes of identity, belonging, and social status. The use of Hindu thuggee refers to a secret cult of assassins who worship Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, highlighting the complexities of cultural identity. Additionally, "won't stop yelling 'til I'm comfortable" expresses the desire for belonging and acceptance. The last line of the song, "hello, yes, it's happy rappy, this is what you're hearing right now, actually," is a self-referential nod, as if to say, "we are aware that we are just another commercial product."
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a critique of the entertainment industry, but also as an exploration of the artists' own identities as creators within it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, ah, oh, shit!
Introducing the song with excitement and energy
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty
Counting to twenty for no apparent reason
Get that guap, get that money
Encouraging listeners to make money and be successful
Meathead, street cred
Proudly displaying one's physical strength and reputation in the streets
Weed edge, Greedhead
Mixing drug culture and greed as a way of life
Young Charles Ponzi
Referencing the notorious financial criminal for no clear reason
Waka Flocka Fonzie
Combining the names of rapper Waka Flocka Flame and character Fonzie from Happy Days
Sippin' Dom P, don glassage on Africa
Drinking expensive champagne while admiring African art
Buddhist zooted, they write down my Agatha Christie mysteries
Being high on marijuana and having one's writing mistaken for famous mystery author Agatha Christie's
Officer Rick Ross, gold chain Mr. T's
Poking fun at the rapper Officer Rick Ross and his love of large gold chains
Open every cell at Attica, sellin' Acuras, it's a commercial
Proposing the absurd notion of releasing prisoners and selling cars at the notorious prison Attica
Room full of Draculas, big commercial
Using vampires to describe a large, corporate gathering
Which little idiot wanna throw a piggy bank of more, much more?
Questioning who would foolishly waste their money on something insignificant like a piggy bank
Paid for Rushmore, Larry Johnson, the best first godson
Referencing the famous Mount Rushmore and basketball player Larry Johnson as examples of successful, accomplished individuals
Terry cloth Kangol, ____, go piss on Dodge Durango
Wearing a popular style of hat and disrespectfully urinating on a particular car model
Rango, Johnny Depp in it, Bay reppin' it
Mentioning the film Rango and its star Johnny Depp in addition to the city of the San Francisco Bay
Alameda, don't step in it
Warning listeners to avoid Alameda for an unknown reason
Used to stay there, now I stay where young Icarus went to daycare
Humorously referencing Greek mythology and the character Icarus as a way of showing personal growth and change
Hey, there! All you little kids better play fair!
Addressing children and advising them to be fair and respectful
Yo, yo, this shit is too much, kid!
Expressing feeling overwhelmed by the absurdity of the lyrics and general chaos of the song
One day I'll roll up and be like "What up, kid?
I'm fitter, happier, more productive!"
Referencing the Radiohead song "Fitter Happier" and expressing a desire to improve oneself
Until then I lay home and bump this "Loveless"
Yeah, that's My Bloody Valentine
Forty cracker, don't call it My Bloody Balentine
Call it my bloody country club
Listening to My Bloody Valentine's album Loveless and correcting someone's mispronunciation of the band's name
Hindu thuggee come from blood
Referencing the Thuggee cult associated with Hinduism and violence
Won't stop yellin' 'til I'm comfortable
Continuing to seek comfort and security until achieved
Tumblr full, wonderful
Being satisfied or fulfilled by one's social media presence on Tumblr
Keep it one hundred, I'mma die, like, ten times
Staying true to oneself and acknowledging that life is short
Be the first to run if I hear some lead fly
Being cautious and making one's safety a priority
Same by the Bed-Stuy(?)
Not clear, possibly a reference to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant
Stack chips with the Vegas
Gambling and winning money in Las Vegas
I'll kill 'em with the
Incomplete sentence, leaving the listener to wonder what the singer will kill someone with
Hello, yes, it's happy rappy!
This is what you're hearing right now, actually
Announcing the name of the song and confirming that this is what the listener is currently hearing
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Qball9311
One of the sickest beats I've heard in a while. Quiet, subtle and yet powerful!
@peraltany
best track in my opinion on the whole album
@neptunedust
My favorite song by them
@tagger324
Officially the only one bumping this in 2020
@FrostyFlameTV
I gotchu bro
@jakearanui9200
Only one in 2021
@Giygaszor
Dat MBV reference
@youllgrowonme
Spot the Radiohead reference and win a prize. Also, good job on the HD /b/rew.
@123lightingman
Now I stay where young Icarus used to go to daycare, HAAYYY DEERRR , all you little kids better play fair.
@245BlackGuy
this goes hard!!