Much has been said about Das Racist — those joke/shock/insert–your–own–qualifier rap provocateurs from Brooklyn — as the music world attempted to make sense of their first two mixtapes, Sit Down, Man and Shut Up, Dude. Not much progress has been made, considering the trio’s status as one of the most polarizing acts in music today. Their newest release, Relax, is certain to renew the debate.
To be sure, if you didn’t like Das Racist before, you definitely won’t like them now. And if you’re a die–hard, this is manna from horn–rimmed irony heaven. Maybe in a deliberate choice (you never know with these dudes), the structure of the album itself is almost a representation of the polarizing nature of their music. The first half is an exhausting trudge; right off the bat, you’re barraged with the most abrasive aspects of their lyricism and beat–crafting. Opener “Relax” finds them blaming the white devils and sophists over a cacophony of blips and grinds — essentially accusing their largely white listeners (Das Racist met at Wesleyan, after all) for their smug “multicultural” complacency. Verbal barrages aside, it’s still a taxing listen and far from accessible; penetrating the formidable cocoon of irony, self–reference and hyper–literacy they’ve created is no small task. Thankfully, the second half of the album provides a welcome respite for the listener.
Standout track “Rainbow in the Dark” is a showcase of Das Racist’s pure giftedness on the flow and sheer acumen for developing beats — a reminder of the excellence these guys can achieve if they allow themselves to just rap. Ultimately, throughout the album, the same themes, controversies and questions drip from every cleverly turned phrase and funky beat.
After listening to Relax, you sort of have to stop yourself from doing too much wondering, like, are they really serious about everything they’re saying? Are they being the most serious when they’re being the most overtly ridiculous? Das Racist probably revel in the confusion these sorts of tail–chasing questions their music provokes. If nothing else, Relax proves pretty clearly that this group is no longer joking around — but if you think too hard about it, their big joke is on you.
