Das Racist

Das Racist want to make you cry but first you're going to laugh. The rap duo hailing from the hipster haven of Williamsburg, Brooklyn have made a name for themselves with the hilarious Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, a song described by music blogs as both "one of the songs of the summer" and "deceptively idiotic." Das Racist, aka California Cuban Victor Vazquez and Indian-American Himanshu Suri, were probably going for both.

We tracked down Victor and Himanshu (along with hypeman DAP) and chatted about being brown in America, double decker tacos and Indo-Latin fusion.

What's your meal of choice at the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell?

Victor: I don't eat there anymore. But I used to mess with the double decker taco on occasion.

Himanshu: I don't eat there anymore. But my mom's a vegetarian and the bean burritos are super cheap so when I was younger it was kind of our fast food spot of choice. The one closest to my neighborhood would have a customer base of like 80 percent Indian families.

DAP: I don't eat fast food unless there is no other option and I'm incredibly hungry, which is pretty rare. Especially in New York, where fast food is usually more expensive than going to eat Chinese food or pizza or what have you. Plus, I don't like fries at all.

What I'm looking for is a dosa cart somewhere downtown other than the Washington Square Park Dosa Guy (who is an awesome, dude, check him out). Come on people!

Do you think people don't take your music seriously because you don't take yourselves seriously?

Victor: I think some people don't take our music seriously because their concept of the aesthetics and politics of seriousness differ from ours. We do take ourselves seriously, we just try not to take ourselves too seriously.

Himanshu: I agree with Victor Vazquez.

How do you feel about the Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar comparisons?

Victor: I think that both Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar are amazing, important cultural entities that successfully speak on issues of race, class, marginality, the immigrant experience, the experience of natural-born americans born of immigrants, capitalism and getting zooted. So yeah, on one level it's flattering. Plus Cheech Marin is my uncle.

On another level, I don't appreciate when people think of Das Racist as strictly a comedic project or call it something like "novelty" rap. It's music. Jay-Z is funny, he has jokes, Kanye is funny, Wayne is funny, most (good) rappers are funny. Bob Dylan is funny, Morrissey is funny, Prince is funny.

Himanshu: MF Doom, Ghostface, Cam'ron, Andre 3000, and the Beastie Boys are all funny. Doom said himself he just writes what he thinks is funny but has never been called "joke", "parody" or "novelty" rap.

Harold & Kumar is actually very on-point in discussing the Asian-American experience and subverting racial stereotypes but veiling it in humor and a haze of herb vapors so I'd say it's a very accurate comparison. The speech at the end of the film where Kumar talks about their adventure being bigger than just the munchies and being about their parents fleeing hunger in search of (blasphemous) cheeseburgers and the "American Dream" is pretty much my favorite thing. Plus, Kal Penn is my cousin.

My only thing is I'm not sure if that similarity is what people are getting at or it's just real easy and convenient because they're both films involving pairs of non-black/white zooters with a sense of humor.

DAP: Well, I think they might reflect upon people's limited experiences with colored people, and comedy, even. If anything, they most resemble Speedy Gonzalez buying a Powerbar from Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart? My uncles are all regular South Indian guys, but they're famous at home.

Are "minorities" in right now?

Victor: Well, minorities are "in" jail at overwhelmingly disproportionate statistical rates compared to whites. OOOOOOOOH!

Himanshu: Nice one Victor. "Minorities" are "in" alright. "Minorities" are "in" shittier "schools" and dropping out at overwhelmingly disproportionate statistical rates compared to whites! WHAT!

DAP: I think "our" women and food are doing quite well here, as usual. But we're having some problems with getting into the swimming pools, I've heard.

Do you laugh to keep from crying?

Victor: I like to mix it up. Sometimes I laugh to keep from crying, sometimes I dance to keep from crying. Sometimes I dance to keep from laughing. Shit, was that a dad joke?

DAP: No, Dad Joke is actually my side project with George Postive, Sen Dog and Spliff Star. Peace to Freaky Tah and Ed McMahon.

Himanshu: We wear the mask that grins and lies. It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes. This debt we pay to human guile; with torn and bleeding hearts we smile, and mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise in counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while we wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile beneath our feet, and long the mile; but let the world dream otherwise. We wear the mask!

Where would you rather battle someone? On a street corner or on Gmail chat?

Victor: You obviously aren't familiar with our Smack DVD appearances.

Himanshu: We caught a lot of heat when one of our lil homies let off some shots into the air on that LES playground but it's whatever really. Wait, that was Tru Life. I think.

DAP: When that type of stuff starts happening I usually try and get another drink. Also, "Street Corner"?

Who has better food? Latinos or Indians?

Victor: Indo-Latin Fusion. Duck Vindaloo Arepas.

Himanshu: I agree that Duck Vindaloo Arepas are great, especially with pomegranate molasses and curry leaf mango. Also, paneer konkani in Oaxacan crepas de huitlacoche are off the chain. Have you ever enjoyed a Pani Puri Margarita? If not, I suggest you do as soon as possible.

Then you have Goan cuisine, a blend of Portuguese and Indian from the small state of Goa where the Portuguese landed in the 16th century as Jesuit priests and merchants, eventually conquering and ruling for 450 years.

Also, Latino and Indian food, much like the people of these regions, aren't homogenous. I could compare Puerto Rican mofongo to South Indian dosa or Peruvian aji de gallina to North Indian chicken makhani. The options are endless.

DAP: Everybody's mom.