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 Racistβs 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 βhood 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.
Rainbow In the Dark
Das Racist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(I don't see you here, dog)
Tiny-ass hamburgers, tiny-ass cheeseburgers
Tiny-ass chicken sandwiches
It's outlandish, kid
Ma trying to speak to the kid
In Spanish, kid
Like "?Que tu quieres?"
I hella gotta piss, where's the bathroom?"
Ask whom the bell tolls for
Hey, yo, where you get this place from, the hellhole store?
I'm in the building
Building will Belding
Ask for whom the bell rings (DR)
Something like a neo-rap Zach attack
Finna spark an L and have myself a Big Mac attack
Known to rock the flyest shit and eat the best pizza
Charge that shit to Mastercard, already owe Visa
Catch me drinkin' lean in Italy like I was Pisa
We could eat the flyest cave-aged cheese for sheez, ma
Yeah, we could eat Gruyere
As if we care
We could eat Roquefort
Or we could just kick it like Rockports
In the periphery of Little Sicily little did she know I'm tickling boo she so giggly
Catch me solving mysteries like Wikipedia Brown
It's the future get down
We make a sound even if nobody's around
Like a tree or the tears of a clown
Yo, I'm afraid of clowns, I'm afraid of small towns
Positive energy is something like I'm afraid of all frowns
Catch me at the crib getting light to Jeff Mangum
It's fun to do bad things like rhyme about handguns
If any problem pop off
I'll Joe Pesci any fool while drinking that Popov
That's cause I'm a Goodfella
Stay up out the hood hella much now
But punch clowns if they touch down
While I'm eating lunch now
While I'm eating a burger
Metaphysical spiritual lyrical murder
The ill '96 manifestible third eye
Abstract vegan backpack skateboard et cetera
Rap hella much in a busted ass Jetta with Coretta Scott King
Rap bridge
On a duet with T-Pain and Stephen Hawking
I'm not joking, stop jocking, stop talking
Shut up, hush up
Please, shut the fuck up
Shut up, dude, shut up
Das Racist is the new Kool G Rap
Peep us at the Grammys
We'd like to thank G-chat
We'd like to thank weed rap
The best rapper's B Real
Jokes, it's us, come on, be real
Second Latin rapper to like the Beatles
But on the real they swear I'm blacker than Cheadle
Like Don King playing Donkey Kong Country at his cousin's house
You don't even know what it's about
This is panic attack rap
Eating four flapjacks
Trap raps, let em free, they always come back to me
The Internet told me that that's called love
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug
Himanshu, yes I'm in control man
Pos Vibe Emanator
Yes I got my soul tan
Soul shine, soul glow, so so Po-Mo
Catch me on the South Side
Kicking it with Shlomo
Kicking it with Gary Soto
All the cholos saying "Mira el joto"
Just because I rock the secondhand Versace
Wash me, watch me
The second hand couldn't even clock me
You couldn't see me like a Cuban playing hockey
Cracker in the chocolate, that's human Pocky
Papa look stocky, Mama look chalky
Me I look a little something like a young Shock G
Words come through me like I was a walkie talkie
All I do is open up my mouth and just rock, see
You, you are not me
Me I am possibly everything plus everything that is not me
Jokes, that is not T-R-U-E
Are you understanding everything, do you got me?
Catch me in the trees where it's shady like Lockheed Martin
Sparking in the shade of the trees in the park, B
Hark the angels stay singing in the dark
Like the rainbow in the Ronnie James Dio joint
Hit it from the back court
Like it was a three point
I don't give a fuck, I'm a duck to a decoy
No trustem white-face man like Geronimo
Tried to go to Amsterdam they threw us in Guantanamo
The song "Rainbow in the Dark" by Das Racist is a complex work that combines myriad themes such as cultural identity, power structures, control, and xenophobia. The song begins with the singer at a fast-food joint, where he is having trouble communicating with his mother in Spanish. The singer tries to locate the bathroom, while simultaneously trying to find out for whom the bell tolls. This line can be seen as a reference to a novel by the same name by John Donne. The novel is about the connection between humankind, and how we are all interconnected.
The song moves between various images, including pop-culture references, like the characters from the TV show Saved by the Bell, to more obscure references like Wikipedia Brown, a children's book character known for solving mysteries. The lyrics are full of wordplay and puns, which reflect the existential confusion that the singer experiences in the face of a rapidly-changing world.
Throughout the song, the singers weave in and out of various social strata, highlighting the precarious nature of their existence in a world that seeks to limit and control their voices. This is represented in the line, "Positive energy is something like I'm afraid of all frowns," where the singer acknowledges the power of negative societal energy.
Overall, the song "Rainbow in the Dark" by Das Racist is filled with ambiguity, uncertainty, and confusion, which reflects the complexities of contemporary society. It is a call for individuals to embrace their unique cultural identities and reject the attempts of power structures to limit their voices.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm at the White Castle
I don't see you here, dog
Tiny-ass hamburgers, tiny-ass cheeseburgers
Tiny-ass chicken sandwiches, it's outlandish, kid
Ma trying to speak to the kid, In Spanish, kid, like "?Que tu quieres?"
I'm like "where is the bathroom? I hella gotta piss, where's the bathroom?"
Ask whom the bell tolls for, Hey, yo, where you get this place from, the hellhole store?
I'm in the building, Building will Belding
Something like a neo-rap Zach attack
Finna spark an L and have myself a Big Mac attack
Known to rock the flyest shit and eat the best pizza, Charge that shit to Mastercard, already owe Visa
Catch me drinkin' lean in Italy like I was Pisa
We could eat the flyest cave-aged cheese for sheez, ma, Yeah, we could eat Gruyere
As if we care, We could eat Roquefort, Or we could just kick it like Rockports
In the periphery of Little Sicily little did she know I'm tickling boo she so giggly
Catch me solving mysteries like Wikipedia Brown
It's the future get down
We make a sound even if nobody's around, Like a tree or the tears of a clown
Yo, I'm afraid of clowns, I'm afraid of small towns, Positive energy is something like I'm afraid of all frowns
Catch me at the crib getting light to Jeff Mangum, It's fun to do bad things like rhyme about handguns
If any problem pop off, I'll Joe Pesci any fool while drinking that Popov, That's cause I'm a Goodfella
Stay up out the hood hella much now, But punch clowns if they touch down
Metaphysical spiritual lyrical murder
The ill '96 manifestible third eye
Abstract vegan backpack skateboard et cetera, Rap hella much in a busted ass Jetta with Coretta Scott King
Rap bridge, On a duet with T-Pain and Stephen Hawking, I'm not joking, stop jocking, stop talking
Das Racist is the new Kool G Rap, Peep us at the Grammys
We'd like to thank G-chat, We'd like to thank weed rap
The best rapper's B Real, Jokes, it's us, come on, be real
Second Latin rapper to like the Beatles, But on the real they swear I'm blacker than Cheadle
Like Don King playing Donkey Kong Country at his cousin's house, You don't even know what it's about
This is panic attack rap, Eating four flapjacks
Trap raps, let em free, they always come back to me, The Internet told me that that's called love, I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug
Himanshu, yes I'm in control man, Pos Vibe Emanator, Yes I got my soul tan
Soul shine, soul glow, so so Po-Mo, Catch me on the South Side, Kicking it with Shlomo
Kicking it with Gary Soto, All the cholos saying "Mira el joto"
Just because I rock the secondhand Versace, Wash me, watch me, The second hand couldn't even clock me
You couldn't see me like a Cuban playing hockey, Cracker in the chocolate, that's human Pocky
Papa look stocky, Mama look chalky, Me I look a little something like a young Shock G
Words come through me like I was a walkie talkie, All I do is open up my mouth and just rock, see
You, you are not me, Me I am possibly everything plus everything that is not me, Jokes, that is not T-R-U-E
Are you understanding everything, do you got me?
Catch me in the trees where it's shady like Lockheed Martin, Sparking in the shade of the trees in the park, B
Hark the angels stay singing in the dark, Like the rainbow in the Ronnie James Dio joint
Hit it from the back court, Like it was a three point, I don't give a fuck, I'm a duck to a decoy
No trustem white-face man like Geronimo, Tried to go to Amsterdam they threw us in Guantanamo
Lyrics Β© ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Himanshu Suri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paulo Hernanndizz
First heard these fellas back in summer 2012, even then I knew these guys were something different..
A decade later & I understand why. These guys were making some quintessential meme music that was beyond the palate of so many people even back then. Absolute kino.
Just wanted to leave this message before βTik Tok brought me hereβ becomes a regular comment on this video
:P Roflmao xD
Norie Holloway
Lyrics:
I'm at the White Castle
(I don't see you here, dog)
Tiny-ass hamburgers, tiny-ass cheeseburgers
Tiny-ass chicken sandwiches
It's outlandish, kid
Ma trying to speak to the kid
In Spanish, kid
Like "?Que tu quieres?"
I'm like "where is the bathroom?
I hella gotta piss, where's the bathroom?"
Ask whom the bell tolls for
Hey, yo, where you get this place from, the hellhole store?
I'm in the building
Building will Belding
Ask for whom the bell rings (DR)
Something like a neo-rap Zach attack
Finna spark an L and have myself a Big Mac attack
Known to rock the flyest shit and eat the best pizza
Charge that shit to Mastercard, already owe Visa
Catch me drinkin' lean in Italy like I was Pisa
We could eat the flyest cave-aged cheese for sheez, ma
Yeah, we could eat Gruyere
As if we care
We could eat Roquefort
Or we could just kick it like Rockports
In the periphery of Little Sicily little did she know I'm tickling boo she so giggly
Catch me solving mysteries like Wikipedia Brown
It's the future get down
We make a sound even if nobody's around
Like a tree or the tears of a clown
Yo, I'm afraid of clowns, I'm afraid of small towns
Positive energy is something like I'm afraid of all frowns
Catch me at the crib getting light to Jeff Mangum
It's fun to do bad things like rhyme about handguns
If any problem pop off
I'll Joe Pesci any fool while drinking that Popov
That's cause I'm a Goodfella
Stay up out the hood hella much now
But punch clowns if they touch down
While I'm eating lunch now
While I'm eating a burger
Metaphysical spiritual lyrical murder
The ill '96 manifestible third eye
Abstract vegan backpack skateboard et cetera
Rap hella much in a busted ass Jetta with Coretta Scott King
Rap bridge
On a duet with T-Pain and Stephen Hawking
I'm not joking, stop jocking, stop talking
Shut up, hush up
Please, shut the fuck up
Shut up, dude, shut up
Das Racist is the new Kool G Rap
Peep us at the Grammys
We'd like to thank G-chat
We'd like to thank weed rap
The best rapper's B Real
Jokes, it's us, come on, be real
Second Latin rapper to like the Beatles
But on the real they swear I'm blacker than Cheadle
Like Don King playing Donkey Kong Country at his cousin's house
You don't even know what it's about
This is panic attack rap
Eating four flapjacks
Trap raps, let em free, they always come back to me
The Internet told me that that's called love
I'm on the Internet cause I'm an Internet thug
Himanshu, yes I'm in control man
Pos Vibe Emanator
Yes I got my soul tan
Soul shine, soul glow, so so Po-Mo
Catch me on the South Side
Kicking it with Shlomo
Kicking it with Gary Soto
All the cholos saying "Mira el joto"
Just because I rock the secondhand Versace
Wash me, watch me
The second hand couldn't even clock me
You couldn't see me like a Cuban playing hockey
Cracker in the chocolate, that's human Pocky
Papa look stocky, Mama look chalky
Me I look a little something like a young Shock G
Words come through me like I was a walkie talkie
All I do is open up my mouth and just rock, see
You, you are not me
Me I am possibly everything plus everything that is not me
Jokes, that is not T-R-U-E
Are you understanding everything, do you got me?
Catch me in the trees where it's shady like Lockheed Martin
Sparking in the shade of the trees in the park, B
Hark the angels stay singing in the dark
Like the rainbow in the Ronnie James Dio joint
Hit it from the back court
Like it was a three point
I don't give a fuck, I'm a duck to a decoy
No trustem white-face man like Geronimo
Tried to go to Amsterdam they threw us in Guantanamo
Sidharth Singh
As an Indian dude who grew up in NYC, these guys were my heroes. I really thought theyβd be the dudes to put Indians on the hip hop scene, sucks they broke up man :(
Zeus
Sidharth Singh u have nav now
Susana Bolin
@Zeus Punjab MC old but all I really know,reccomend other's please?
Russian gangster rap is funny to,great,but so hyper.
Zeus
Suzanne Bolin listen to xxxtentacion
Underground_Roamer
Sidharth Singh u got nav
keojy
Yeah Heems is good. Kool Ad is afro cuban tho not Indian.
val x5
they were so crazy ahead of their time it's unreal. pioneers
A JobDunWell
Dub step b4 an still cool.... F Skrillex
Imran Karolia
100%, so under rated and ahead of their time
Lydia
Honestly, das racist totally paved the way for βindie rap.β They got popular, which made everyone who was currently into the hipster/indie music scene thirsty for more rap. Thus opening the doors for sooo many new artists