Heems Explained

Heems
Birth Name:Himanshu Kumar Suri
Birth Date:6 July 1985
Alias:Hima
Origin:Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre:Hip hop
Occupation:Rapper
Past Member Of:Das Racist
Years Active:2008–present

Himanshu Kumar Suri[1] (born July 6, 1985),[2] better known by his stage name Heems, is an American rapper from Queens in New York City. Best known for being part of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist, Suri is also the founder of Greedhead Music, an independent record label. In 2012, Suri released his first solo mixtape, Nehru Jackets, on his Greedhead imprint and in conjunction with SEVA NY, a community-based organization from Queens of which Suri is a board member. In August 2015, Heems announced that Fox had bought his story rights for a potential sitcom, and that he was working on the pilot.[3] He is currently a member of Swet Shop Boys along with actor and rapper Riz MC and producer Redinho.[4]

Early life

Born and raised in Bellerose, Queens, New York, Suri graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 2003, where he was the vice president of the student council when the September 11 attacks happened two blocks away.[5] [6] Suri then attended Wesleyan University, where he studied economics.[7] After graduating from Wesleyan, Suri moved back to New York where he worked in the financial sector until finding success with Das Racist.[7]

He is of Punjabi-Indian descent.[8]

Das Racist

In 2008, Suri formed Das Racist with his college friend Victor Vazquez, known professionally as Kool A.D.[5] Shortly thereafter, Suri's high school friend Ashok Kondabolu joined as their hype man.[9] 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 Pitchforks designation of "Best New Music" as well as spawning tours across North America, Europe and Asia.

Solo career

While still with Das Racist, Suri released his first two mixtapes – Nehru Jackets and Wild Water Kingdom. After the break up of Das Racist at the end of 2012, Suri moved to Bombay to work on his first official album.[10] In April 2014, he recorded for a commercial for Vitamin Water in Japan.[10]

In January 2012, Suri released his first solo mixtape, Nehru Jackets, on his own Greedhead imprint.[11] Nehru Jackets was released in collaboration with SEVA NY.[11] Guests on Nehru Jackets include Despot, Danny Brown, and Childish Gambino.[12] The album has received positive reviews, including a score of 8/10 from Spin.[13]

Heems's second mixtape, Wild Water Kingdom, was released on November 14, 2012, also on the Greedhead label.[14] It features production from Harry Fraud, Keyboard Kid, Crookers, Beautiful Lou, Le1f, and Lushlife.[14] Guests on Wild Water Kingdom include Childish Gambino and Lakutis.[15]

His debut solo album, Eat Pray Thug, was released on March 10, 2015, on Greedhead/Megaforce Records.[16] The album was recorded in Bombay 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."[16] The first single, "Sometimes", was released on January 8, 2015.[16]

Greedhead Music

To manage Das Racist, Suri founded his own record label, Greedhead Music, as a management and recording company in 2008.[17] 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)[18] and Heems (Nehru Jackets),[11] as well as Keepaway's Black Flute,[19] Lakutis' I'm in the Forest, Le1f's Dark York,[20] and Big Baby Gandhi's Big Fucking Baby.[21]

Activism

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.[22] Suri plans to work with SEVA to develop a community center with a recording studio for local youth.[23] Suri has worked extensively with SEVA to push for more equitable redistricting in Queens.[24] 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."[25]

Art

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.[26] 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."[27] He performed alongside former Das Racist member Ashok Kondabolu (Dapwell), Greedhead rapper Le1f, and psych-dance band Prince Rama.[28] [29] In February 2015, Heems curated an art exhibition at the Aicon Gallery in anticipation of his new album, Eat Pray Thug.[30] 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.[31]

Film

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.[32] 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.[33] In 2015, he played a supporting role as rascally ad agency employee named Reny in Benjamin Dickinson's Creative Control,[34] 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.[35]

Twitter

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.[36] [37] In January 2011, Rolling Stone magazine named Suri #11 on its list of "50 Top Tweeters in Music".[38]

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Guest appearances

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Interview: Heems Opens Up About Upcoming 'Eat Pray Thug' Fox TV Series. Complex. Justin. Davis. December 15, 2015. June 13, 2016.
  2. Web site: Yo fuck. I turn 30 tomorrow. Rishta murmurs reaching peak.. @HIMANSHU. Twitter. July 5, 2015. June 13, 2016.
  3. Web site: Heems to Apparently Get His Own Sitcom. Gregory. Adams. August 26, 2015. Exclaim!. August 27, 2015.
  4. Web site: Heems and Riz MC (Riz Ahmed) Are Swet Shop Boys, Announce New Album With Single T5: Listen. Evan. Minsker. August 2, 2016. Pitchfork. October 18, 2016.
  5. Web site: Mic Check. Vivek. Menezes. The Caravan. October 2011. February 2, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111006105248/http://caravanmagazine.in/PrintThisStory.aspx?StoryId=1106. October 6, 2011.
  6. Web site: The Soldier and the Rap Star: A Tale of Two Post-9/11 Students. September 8, 2011. February 2, 2012. Benjy. Sarlin. The Atlantic.
  7. Web site: Usinger. Mike. Das Racist's Himanshu Suri drops out for indie rap. The Georgia Straight. February 2, 2012. January 20, 2011.
  8. Web site: Above the Radar Part II: Zachg, Danny Brown and Heems on hip-hop today. The Daily Californian. David. Getman. April 26, 2012.
  9. News: Order Moves in on Chaos, as Rappers Go Legit. Jon. Caramanica. September 13, 2011. The New York Times. February 2, 2012.
  10. Web site: Das Racist's Heems Made a Japanese Commercial for Vitamin Water, and It's Hilarious. Dee. Lockett. Slate. April 9, 2014. April 9, 2014.
  11. Web site: Das Racist's Himanshu Suri: Rapper, Jokester, Community Organizer?. Channing. Kennedy. January 17, 2012. February 2, 2012. ColorLines. https://web.archive.org/web/20120203054734/http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/01/das_racists_himanshu_suri_on_dropping_a_mixtape_for_queens_redistricting_battle.html. February 3, 2012. dead.
  12. Web site: Das Racist's Heems Drops 'Nehru Jackets' Mixtape. Marc. Hogan. January 17, 2012. February 2, 2012. Spin.
  13. Web site: Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'. Brandon. Soderberg. January 2012. February 4, 2012. Spin. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120205093414/http://www.spin.com/reviews/himanshu-nehru-jackets-greedhead. February 5, 2012.
  14. Web site: Download the New Mixtape From Das Racist's Heems, Wild Water Kingdom. Evan. Minsker. Carrie. Battan. November 14, 2012. Pitchfork. November 14, 2012.
  15. Web site: Das Racist's Heems Teases New Album, Defends 'Relax' in Reddit AMA. Chris. Martins. November 14, 2012. Spin. November 14, 2012.
  16. Web site: Heems (Formerly of Das Racist) Announces Eat, Pray, Thug, Shares "Sometimes". Evan. Minsker. January 8, 2015. Pitchfork. January 10, 2015.
  17. Web site: Labels to Watch. December 15, 2011. February 3, 2012. The Fader.
  18. Web site: Hive Five: A Greedhead Records Primer. Phillip. Mlynar. January 9, 2012. MTV Hive. January 14, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120409093523/http://read.mtvhive.com/2012/01/09/greedhead-records-roster/. April 9, 2012.
  19. Web site: Keepaway: Black Flute (Greedhead, 2012). Ian. Cohen. Pitchfork. January 9, 2012. January 14, 2012.
  20. Web site: Download Le1f's Dark York Mixtape. The Fader. Duncan. Cooper. April 18, 2012. April 5, 2017.
  21. Web site: Lakutis' I'm In the Forest EP and Other Reasons You Should Really Be Paying Attention to Greedhead Music. Mike. Ramos. The Stranger. December 1, 2011. January 14, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120104072514/http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2011/12/01/lakutis-im-in-the-forest-ep-and-other-reasons-you-should-really-be-paying-attention-to-greedhead-music. January 4, 2012. dead.
  22. Web site: Queens rapper adds star power to redistricting battle. Irving. Dejohn. January 15, 2012. New York Daily News. February 3, 2012.
  23. Web site: Redistrict Remix: Gerrymandering Issue Taken Up By Queens Rapper and Punjabi Proteges. Hunter. Walker. January 11, 2012. New York Observer. February 3, 2012.
  24. Web site: Das Racist Rapper Seeks to Influence City Council Redistricting. Colin. Campbell. August 21, 2012. September 6, 2012. Politicker Network.
  25. Web site: Das Racist Rapper Endorses Reshma Saujani for Public Advocate. Colin. Campbell. April 3, 2013. Politicker. April 5, 2013.
  26. Web site: La Putt. Chris. Das Racist & Leslie Dick @ The Whitney Museum (pics). BrooklynVegan. February 19, 2015.
  27. Web site: Blues for Smoke | Whitney Museum of American Art. Whitney Museum of American Art. May 1, 2015. May 5, 2015.
  28. Web site: Blues for Smoke. Whitney Museum of American Art.
  29. Web site: Le1f, Mykki Blanco, Prince Rama & members of Das Racist playing the Whitney during 'Blues For Smoke' exhibition. BrooklynVegan. April 2, 2013. May 5, 2015.
  30. Web site: Ismail. Aymann. Das Racist's Himanshu Curated a Show for His Solo Album Eat Pray Thug. Animal New York. February 19, 2015.
  31. Web site: Aicon Gallery Press Release. Aicon Gallery. February 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150219224511/http://www.aicongallery.com/exhibitions/2015-02-07_eat-pray-thug/pressrelease/. February 19, 2015. dead.
  32. Web site: Dosa Hunt (2012). IMDb. August 15, 2015.
  33. Web site: Young. Alex. April 23, 2013. Watch Kelis and Das Racist's Heems in new Michael Cera short film. Consequence of Sound. May 12, 2015.
  34. Web site: Creative Control (2015). IMDb. August 15, 2015.
  35. Web site: World Premiere of Tanuj Chopra's Film at L.A. Film Festival. May 20, 2016. India West. May 27, 2016.
  36. Web site: 10 Great Das Racist Moments. Charlie. Morrigan. December 11, 2012. Thought Catalog. January 4, 2013. December 16, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121216072312/http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/10-great-das-racist-moments/. dead.
  37. Web site: @Heems:Curating Post-Bin Laden Bigotry. Sara. Imjan. May 2, 2011. Turnstyle News. January 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20121216233751/http://turnstylenews.com/2011/05/02/heems-curating-post-bin-laden-bigotry/. December 16, 2012. dead.
  38. Web site: 50 Top Tweeters in Music. January 21, 2011. Amos. Barshad. Rolling Stone. January 4, 2013.

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