The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

The sacred, earth-shattering and soul-moving place that hip-hop once claimed
has been so tragically distorted over the years by an artificial, commercial
success of slim-bag artists; that it would have Grandmaster Flash and the
Furious Five rolling over in their graves.

We’ve got artists from the Bronx to Dakar
that not only stand by the principles of this beautifully raw culture; but also
go to great lengths to keep it alive.

While we’re grateful for their work; finding fresh, quality hip-hop tunes
these days can be extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible. In 2003,
Himanshu Suri and Victor Vazquez formed Das Racist and began spinning beats in
a dorm room at Wesleyan
University, with no idea
where their utter passion and belief in hip-hop would take them.

In 2008, their debut track ‘Combination Pizza Hut and
Taco Bell‘ hit the music scene, labelling them a fun and funky duo for
their rapping about consumer identity in a rather goofy way. Despite its
seemingly childish take on clever social commentary, their style caught on and
they quickly became loved by underground hip-hop fans worldwide. Not only do
they truly celebrate hip-hop music and what it’s all about; but their work is
accessible and relatable in a way that reaches everyone everywhere from the
toughest hood to the swankiest yacht.  

With a fresh, brilliant and energetically moving style, the duo rose from
their flat but successful debut track to finally release Sit Down, Man,
a twenty-track album on September 14; and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Featuring various styles and collaborations with Jay-Z and
Quincy Jones, the album is also collectively produced. Produced by Devo
Springsteen, ‘People are Strange’ has a cool, modern spin on
individualism with spot-on rapping and crooning backing vocals. The lyrics
never miss the target.  

Hard-hitting ‘Fashion Party’ describes the coke-laden party culture with a
serious dose of sarcasm. The psychedelic looping and sensual vocals lend the
track an enhanced imagery of the sickening consequences of the twisted,
ever-so-desired high couture scene.  

Produced by Mike Finito, ‘Roc Marciano Joint’ is a heavier track that brings
a sense of disconcerting anger; but it combines the anger with an urban funk
feel and soul-felt awareness.  

Sit Down, Man is the type of album that you’ll either love or hate.
It’s compelling, refreshing and fun; yet socially conscious through a seriously
tight and clever execution.

Das Racist are a duo to most definitely watch out for, and if there’s one
thing that’s made explicably clear throughout the entire album; it’s this: Das
Racist love hip-hop and they know how to rap about it.