LAFANDAR

Queens MC Heems made waves with rap group Das Racist in 2008 and he’s been in and out of the spotlight ever since. Projects like Swet Shop Boys with Riz MC and producer Redinho have been well received, but it’s been eight full years since the Punjabi American hip-hop star released a full-length solo effort. *LAFANDAR*—crafted with Indian American producer Lapgan—is worth the wait, as its 12 tracks adeptly balance underground influences with diaspora aesthetics. Irreverent and sharp, tracks like “Stupid Dumb Illiterate” and soulful “Accent” are packed with stories of South Asian community life.

The Queens-born, Punjabi-American rapper revels in the hyper-referential code-switching of his work in Das Racist and Swet Shop Boys while bringing newfound focus to his writing.