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Heems

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For other uses, see Heem.

Heems
Heems performing on stage in Atlanta, Georgia, 2011
Heems performing on stage in Atlanta, Georgia, 2011
Background information
Birth nameHimanshu Kumar Suri
Also known asHima
Born (1985-07-06) July 6, 1985 (age 39)
OriginQueens, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
OccupationRapper
Years active2008–present
Labels
Member ofSwet Shop Boys
Formerly ofDas Racist

Himanshu Kumar Suri[1] (born July 6, 1985),[2] better known by his stage name Heems, is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. Suri came to prominence as a member of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist, with whom he released two mixtapes and one album. Suri has also founded independent record labels Greedhead Music and Veena Sounds, and has released three solo albums and two mixtapes. With English musicians Riz MC and Redinho, Suri formed the group Swet Shop Boys in 2014.[3]

Early life

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Born and raised in Bellerose, Queens, New York, he is of Punjabi-Indian descent.[4] Suri's father moved to Flushing, Queens, in 1978.[5] Suri graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 2003, where he met Das Racist band member Ashok Kondabolu,[6] and was the vice president of the student council when the September 11 attacks happened two blocks away.[7][8] Suri then attended Wesleyan University, where he studied economics and met Das Racist co-founder Kool A.D.[9][10] After graduating from Wesleyan, Suri moved back to New York where he worked in the financial sector until finding success with Das Racist.[10]

Das Racist

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Main article: Das Racist § History

In 2008, Suri formed Das Racist with his college friend Victor Vazquez, known professionally as Kool A.D.[7] Shortly thereafter, Suri's high school friend Ashok Kondabolu joined as their hype man.[11] Das Racist first found success on the internet with their 2008 song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell", and then quickly established themselves within the underground rap scene with their 2010 mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man, both of which earned them critical acclaim, including Pitchfork's designation of "Best New Music" and national tours.[12][13]

Solo career

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While still with Das Racist, in January 2012, Suri released his first solo mixtape, Nehru Jackets, on his own Greedhead imprint.[14] Nehru Jackets was released in collaboration with SEVA NY.[14] Guests on Nehru Jackets include Despot, Danny Brown, and Childish Gambino.[15] The album has received positive reviews, including a score of 8/10 from Spin.[16] Heems's second mixtape, Wild Water Kingdom, was released on November 14, 2012, also on the Greedhead label.[17] It features production from Harry Fraud, Keyboard Kid, Crookers, Beautiful Lou, Le1f, and Lushlife.[17] Guests on Wild Water Kingdom include Childish Gambino and Lakutis.[18]

After the break up of Das Racist, at the end of 2012, Suri moved to Mumbai to work on his first official album, and performed solo in India.[19][20] In April 2014, he recorded a Japanese commercial for Vitamin Water.[20] His debut solo album, Eat Pray Thug, was released on March 10, 2015, jointly with Greedhead and Megaforce Records. The first single, "Sometimes," was released on January 8, 2015.[21] The album was recorded in Mumbai and Brooklyn, and includes collaborations with Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange), Rafiq Bhatia, Gordon Voidwell, Boody B, and Harry Fraud. Heems has referred to the album as "9/11 and Heartbreak."[21] In August 2015, Heems announced that Fox had bought his story rights for a potential sitcom, and that he was working on the pilot.[22]

Barring a few features, after an eight year hiatus from music, in 2024, Suri released two albums — both on his new record label Veena Sounds, and jointly with Mass Appeal India[23] — Lafandar with Chicago-based producer Lapgan (which has features from Kool Keith, Open Mike Eagle, Quelle Chris, Your Old Droog, Saul Williams, Blu, Sid Sriram, Cool Calm Pete and Sonnyjim) and Veena, with production and features from Sid Vashi, Vijay Iyer, Ram Dulari, Lapgan, Cool Calm Pete, Mr. Cheeks and Navz-47.[24][25]

Greedhead Music

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To manage Das Racist, Suri founded his own record label, Greedhead Music, as a management and recording company in 2008.[26] Greedhead's first releases were the group's 2010 mixtapes. Das Racist's first commercially available album, Relax, was also the first commercial release on the Greedhead imprint. Greedhead has since released solo mixtapes by Kool A.D. (The Palm Wine Drinkard)[27] and Heems (Nehru Jackets),[14] as well as Keepaway's Black Flute,[28] Lakutis' I'm in the Forest,[29] Le1f's Dark York,[30] and Big Baby Gandhi's Big Fucking Baby.[29] The label has been defunct since 2015.[31]

Activism

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Suri has been a vocal advocate of the South Asian community in New York. In January 2012, Suri joined the board of directors of the Queens-based community organization SEVA.[32] Suri plans to work with SEVA to develop a community center with a recording studio for local youth.[33] Suri has worked extensively with SEVA to push for more equitable redistricting in Queens.[34] Suri has publicly supported Reshma Saujani's bid for New York City Public Advocate, saying, "We will probably have the highest South Asian voter turnout ever this year because of her on the ballot and the resources she will be putting in it. This is the most qualified and well resourced candidate from the [South Asian] community ever."[35]

Art

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In addition to his musical career, Suri also maintains a longstanding relationship with the art scene, especially in New York City. In 2010, Das Racist performed as a part of the Whitney Museum of American Art's Biennial celebration, curated by California artist Martin Kersels.[36] In April 2013, Suri returned to the Whitney as part of the Blues for Smoke exhibit, an interdisciplinary exhibition that explored "a wide range of contemporary art through the lens of the blues and blues aesthetics."[37] He performed alongside former Das Racist member Ashok Kondabolu (Dapwell), Greedhead rapper Le1f, and psych-dance band Prince Rama.[38][39] In February 2015, Heems curated an art exhibition at the Aicon Gallery in anticipation of his new album, Eat Pray Thug.[40] The exhibition contained a wide variety of South Asian artists as well as events and performances throughout its month-long run, including artists such as The Kominas, Riz Ahmed (Riz MC), and Heems himself.[41]

Film

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In 2012, Suri joined an all-star cast of New York musicians in Amrit Singh's documentary short, Dosa Hunt, on a quest to find the best dosa (a traditional South Indian dish) in town.[42] In 2013, Heems made his acting debut along with R&B artist Kelis in "Brazzaville Teen-Ager," a short film which starred and was written and directed by Michael Cera.[43] In 2015, he played a supporting role as rascally ad agency employee named Reny in Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control,[44] which premiered at SXSW 2015, where Heems also performed. Suri starred in Tanuj Chopra's 2016 film Chee and T, which premiered at the LA Film Festival.[45]

Twitter

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Suri has also received attention for his activity on Twitter. In the aftermath of the death of Osama bin Laden, Suri collected and retweeted racist tweets, drawing attention to the prevalence of xenophobia and Islamophobia in the celebratory national mood.[46][47] In January 2011, Rolling Stone magazine named Suri #11 on its list of "50 Top Tweeters in Music".[48]

Discography

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See also: Das Racist discography and Swet Shop Boys discography

Studio albums

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Mixtapes

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Guest appearances

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  • Small Black – "Two Rivers" and "Sunday Son" from Moon Killer (2011)
  • Lushlife – "Hale-Bopp Was the Bedouins" from Plateau Vision (2012)
  • Meyhem Lauren – "Special Effects" and "Juevos Rancheros" from Respect the Fly Shit (2012)
  • Meyhem Lauren – "Carvel" from Mandatory Brunch Meetings (2012)
  • Weekend Money – "Yellow" from Naked City (2012)
  • Hot Sugar – "56k" from Midi Murder (2012)
  • Hot Sugar – "Born 2" from Made Man (2013)
  • Misteur Valaire – "Life Gets Brutal" from Bellevue (2013)
  • Maffew Ragazino – "Jackson Pollock" from Brownsville's Jesus (2014)
  • Antwon – "KLF ELF" from Heavy Hearted in Doldrums (2014)
  • Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild – "Narcotics Anonymous" from Silk Pyramids (2014)
  • Vampire Weekend – "Step (Wintertime Remix)" (2014)
  • Nick Catchdubs – "Full House" from Smoke Machine (2015)
  • Sonnyjim – "Al Jazeera" from Mud in My Malbec (2016)
  • Your Old Droog – "Bangladesh" from Packs (2017)
  • Your Old Droog – "The Simpsons" from Yodney Dangerfield (2022)
  • Rav – "Agent Orange" from LEAP (2023)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Davis, Justin (December 15, 2015). "Interview: Heems Opens Up About Upcoming 'Eat Pray Thug' Fox TV Series". Complex. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  2. ^ "Yo fuck. I turn 30 tomorrow. Rishta murmurs reaching peak". @HIMANSHU. Twitter. July 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  3. ^ Minsker, Evan (August 2, 2016). "Heems and Riz MC (Riz Ahmed) Are Swet Shop Boys, Announce New Album With Single T5: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  4. ^ Getman, David (April 26, 2012). "Above the Radar Part II: Zachg, Danny Brown and Heems on hip-hop today". The Daily Californian.
  5. ^ Kalita, S. Mitra (April 28, 2020). "A rapper mourns his father and the injustice of a supply chain". CNN. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Serena Berry (December 23, 2010). "Das Racist". The Spectator. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Menezes, Vivek (October 2011). "Mic Check". The Caravan. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  8. ^ Sarlin, Benjy (September 8, 2011). "The Soldier and the Rap Star: A Tale of Two Post-9/11 Students". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  9. ^ "We Knew Things Were Different For Us': Heems On Rap, Race And Identity". NPR. 2015 [March 13, 20154:21 AM ET].
  10. ^ a b Usinger, Mike (January 20, 2011). "Das Racist's Himanshu Suri drops out for indie rap". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  11. ^ Caramanica, Jon (September 13, 2011). "Order Moves in on Chaos, as Rappers Go Legit". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  12. ^ Jon Caramanica (October 23, 2009). "The CMJ Music Marathon Showcases Hip-Hop Talent". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  13. ^ Solomon, Interview by Deborah (December 3, 2010). "Straight Outta Wesleyan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Kennedy, Channing (January 17, 2012). "Das Racist's Himanshu Suri: Rapper, Jokester, Community Organizer?". ColorLines. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  15. ^ Hogan, Marc (January 17, 2012). "Das Racist's Heems Drops 'Nehru Jackets' Mixtape". Spin. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  16. ^ Soderberg, Brandon (January 2012). "Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'". Spin. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Minsker, Evan; Battan, Carrie (November 14, 2012). "Download the New Mixtape From Das Racist's Heems, Wild Water Kingdom". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  18. ^ Martins, Chris (November 14, 2012). "Das Racist's Heems Teases New Album, Defends 'Relax' in Reddit AMA". Spin. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  19. ^ Mahindru, Megha (October 29, 2012). "Das Racist's Himanshu Suri Brings His Solo Project To India". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Lockett, Dee (April 9, 2014). "Das Racist's Heems Made a Japanese Commercial for Vitamin Water, and It's Hilarious". Slate. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Minsker, Evan (January 8, 2015). "Heems (Formerly of Das Racist) Announces Eat, Pray, Thug, Shares "Sometimes"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  22. ^ Adams, Gregory (August 26, 2015). "Heems to Apparently Get His Own Sitcom". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  23. ^ "Heems". Earth Agency. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  24. ^ Kappal, Bhanuj. "Heems / Lapgan: LAFANDAR". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  25. ^ Tagat, Anurag (August 25, 2024). "Heems Talks New Album 'Veena,' Plans to Release Third Album". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Labels to Watch". The Fader. December 15, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  27. ^ Mlynar, Phillip (January 9, 2012). "Hive Five: A Greedhead Records Primer". MTV Hive. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  28. ^ Cohen, Ian (January 9, 2012). "Keepaway: Black Flute (Greedhead, 2012)". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  29. ^ a b Ramos, Mike (December 1, 2011). "Lakutis' I'm In the Forest EP and Other Reasons You Should Really Be Paying Attention to Greedhead Music". The Stranger. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  30. ^ Cooper, Duncan (April 18, 2012). "Download Le1f's Dark York Mixtape". The Fader. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  31. ^ Beauchemin, Molly (July 9, 2015). "Heems Shutters Greedhead Label, Calls Roster "Unappreciative"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  32. ^ Dejohn, Irving (January 15, 2012). "Queens rapper adds star power to redistricting battle". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  33. ^ Walker, Hunter (January 11, 2012). "Redistrict Remix: Gerrymandering Issue Taken Up By Queens Rapper and Punjabi Proteges". New York Observer. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  34. ^ Campbell, Colin (August 21, 2012). "Das Racist Rapper Seeks to Influence City Council Redistricting". Politicker Network. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  35. ^ Campbell, Colin (April 3, 2013). "Das Racist Rapper Endorses Reshma Saujani for Public Advocate". Politicker. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  36. ^ La Putt, Chris. "Das Racist & Leslie Dick @ The Whitney Museum (pics)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  37. ^ "Blues for Smoke | Whitney Museum of American Art". Whitney Museum of American Art. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  38. ^ "Blues for Smoke". Whitney Museum of American Art.
  39. ^ "Le1f, Mykki Blanco, Prince Rama & members of Das Racist playing the Whitney during 'Blues For Smoke' exhibition". BrooklynVegan. April 2, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  40. ^ Ismail, Aymann. "Das Racist's Himanshu Curated a Show for His Solo Album Eat Pray Thug". Animal New York. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  41. ^ "Aicon Gallery Press Release". Aicon Gallery. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  42. ^ "Dosa Hunt (2012)". IMDb. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  43. ^ Young, Alex (April 23, 2013). "Watch Kelis and Das Racist's Heems in new Michael Cera short film". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  44. ^ "Creative Control (2015)". IMDb. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  45. ^ "World Premiere of Tanuj Chopra's Film at L.A. Film Festival". India West. May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  46. ^ Morrigan, Charlie (December 11, 2012). "10 Great Das Racist Moments". Thought Catalog. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  47. ^ Imjan, Sara (May 2, 2011). "@Heems:Curating Post-Bin Laden Bigotry". Turnstyle News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  48. ^ Barshad, Amos (January 21, 2011). "50 Top Tweeters in Music". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
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