Bleep

Swet Shop Boys are the duo of Queens MC Heems, former member of the now defunct group Das Racist, and British rapper and actor Riz MC (who some might recognise from the HBO series ‘The Night Of’ in which he played one of the main characters). Following 2014’s eponymous EP, the duo are joined by London producer Redinho on their first full-length release which arrives via their own Customs label.

Much in line with Heems’ previous output, their lyrics are openly political, taking cues from recent events such as Brexit and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The album documents the rappers’ personal experience of rising tensions and increasing racism: the dark, uncomfortable single ‘T5’ with its hard-hitting bass tells their story of having to undergo random security checks when wearing a beard, and ‘Phone Tap’ sees Riz MC elaborate on the challenges arising from his Pakistani roots, put into context by a minimal tabla beat.