To come up in the rap game these days you need to be on your grind 24/7, from social media to the studio to doing shows. Establishing a name and then fighting to remain in the spotlight is a constant job. Brooklyn-based rap trio Das Racist embody that spirit of hustle, a nose to the grindstone work ethic that has led to the recent release of the critically acclaimed Shut Up, Dude mixtape, rockin' shows from NYC to SXSW, and appearing up on pretty much everyone's “Best New Band” list. Famous for their high-energy concerts and irreverent lyrics, this trio has become a force to be reckoned with based on sheer willpower. When the afternoon sun beams through dusty windows and it's time to gather strength for another night on the grind, where do they get the energy and desire to keep coming out and putting on shows for their faithful followers? The 5&Dime spoke with Heems, Kool A.D. (Victor), and Dap of Das Racist about their thoughts on life, work, baby turtles and the never-ending HUSTLE.
5&Dime: You hustlin'?
Hima: Everyday.
Dap: Not as much as I'd like to be, but I'm trying to get a few things done while "Duckin 5 0 and my moms"© Ryder Fleming-Jones. You can obviously hustle for something other than money whether it be fame, girls/boys, cheese (miled-based food product). Whatever flo-ats yr bo-at, ya underdig?
Vic: A white man writes all of Lil Wayne's shit. That's one thing they don't want you to know. And yeah, I'm hustlin.
5&Dime: There are definitely positive and negatives hustles. Everyone has theirs, be it selling CDs and fake purses, slanging drugs, walking your neighbors Chihuahuas, running Halliburton, babysitting, or the rap game. What’s your opinion on how hustling exists within or outside of the law?
Hima: I don't think hustling has to be illegal. I feel like more and more people I meet have four or five sources of income as opposed to one and this will slowly become the norm. Selling weed is easy. As for multiple hustles, I like to think in 2010 everyone's West Indian...like in "In Living Color."
Dap: I think having to do things/deal with people you don't want to or are uncomfortable with is usually a pretty integral part of hustling/grinding, whether something is legal or not. Many hustles exist on the fringes of society, like maybe selling baby turtles.
Vic: Baby turtles is West Indian slang for weed.
5&Dime: The issue of race, and the discourse on race, is a major part of your music. The unemployment rate has historically been far higher for minority groups in the US, necessitating alternate income sources. Do you think this is why the idea of hustling is so important to hip hop?
Hima: White people hustle less because they can.
Dap: Establishing an identity/voice/presence or whatever for a "minority" group almost always involves a struggle and a large part of that struggle is hustling for attention, ya underdig? The Civil Rights movement involved a lot of grinding/grustling/hustling, ya smell me?
Vic: Historical precedents have informed the culture of black people in the United States to this day, and have also informed the culture of non-white immigrants and descendants of those immigrants. Economic disparity is criminally foul, yet it's often enough enforced and reinforced by legislature written by and favoring the rich, who are mostly white. Hustling can be understood as having a personal understanding of what success is and then attempting to achieve that success by whatever means. Brown people seem to do this a lot. In short, white people hustle less because they can. Or rather, their hustle is defined as culturally legitimate.
5&Dime: What does Das Racist do on a daily basis to up your game, and in what ways have Das Racist hustled to get to the top?
Hima: Live show hustle. Interview hustle. Recording songs hustle. Internet marketing hustle. Making jokes hustle.
Dap: Not blowing the brains out of your skull hustle.
Vic: Also other hustles outside the paradigm of legal success.
5&Dime: Looking back on the history of rap music, how has hustling played a role in its development, and who do you think are rap's biggest hustlers?
Hima: I think when 50 took quarter waters and sold 'em for two bucks and then coca-cola came and hollered and said that's what's up was one of the best hustles in rap's history. Jay-Z cashing out Roc-A-Fella for Def Jam's corner office was a big hustle. Big Pun probably had to hustle a lot because of his weight. Ultimately though Jay-Z's probably the biggest hustler.
Dap: Those dudes selling their CDs on the street are the biggest hustlers. "You like hip-hop?"
Vic: Big Pun was probably physically the biggest hustler.
5&Dime: True that. So who do you think are some of the great hustlers of all-time then?
Hima: Dick Cheney.
Dap: Vincent Gallo is a cool dude.
Vic: The first hustler was Jesus.
5&Dime: What’s the most outrageous hustle you’ve ever come across?
Hima: The plot of Office Space.
Dap: Great answer, Hima. A lot of government and corporate hustles are pretty intricate and outrageous. The US Minerals Management Service and the people they're associated with are pulling off some outrageous demonic hustles right now. The dudes selling baby turtles in Chinatown are killing it.
Vic: The Pharmaceutical and Medical Insurance industries are pretty outrageous hustles. Rent is an outrageous hustle. BIG UPS TO CHINATOWN.
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