The Swet Shop Boys have released their convivial second E.P. Sufi La, their first release since their 2016 debut album.
The Swet Shop Boys show a more playful side, with a fun attitude reminiscent especially of the early days of Mac Miller. They still approach racism in their lyrics, with lyrics like “what if I had fairer skin/ less of the melanin/ would I get more work/ or would I not be worth anything.” However, it is not at the forefront of their music as it was in their previous work. They maintain their unique soundscape, seamlessly integrating multiple cultural tones into a single piece.
The duo is made up of Indian-American Heems and British-Pakistani Riz MC who have previously released their debut album Cashmere with producer Redhino last year and the E.P. Swet Shop in 2014.
Rizwan Ahmed who goes by the stage name Riz MC in music may be a familiar face to film and television fans as he has starred in Star Wars: Rogue One, Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, The Night Of and a couple of episodes of Girls. You can look out for him in the upcoming film Una, alongside Rooney Mara in the Sydney Film Festival this month. His music career started off with a kick when his satirical 2006 song “Post 9/11 Blues” was banned from British radios due to the controversial content.
Himanshu Kumar Suri known by the moniker Heems who originally came to be known through the rap group Das Racist with whom he released multiple acclaimed mixtapes. His solo career has also thrived with the release of two E.P.’s Nehru Jackets and Wild Water Kingdom and the album Eat. Pray. Thug. He has worked with music heavyweights Childish Gambino, Danny Brown, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) and Le1f. Heems is also a notable activist for South Asian communities in New York.
Listen to The Swet Shop Boys new E.P. Sufi La below.