Esteemed Rapper Heems Brings the Noise

Heems, formerly of Das Racist, shared some original rhymes to kick off our “Noise” issue. 

Old lady holding purse tight shout shut off that racket 

But that racket happen to be me rapping out my tax bracket 

I told her one man’s noise is another man’s symphony  

And one man’s trash lid another man’s timpani 

Couldn’t afford guitars, we took the sounds that we wanted 

To speak on how we felt unwanted. They say we wanton 

But it don’t warrant them wanting us with arrest warrants 

They say our music is stupid cause it don’t sound like Warrant? 

Who decides what’s wanted and what’s unwanted sound 


In rap, we take what’s around us to make art that’s found 


Like the leftovers and waste that they cooked up with soul 


They would take all these noises they’d mold, they’d control 


We’d hear all this shouting, ’bout our hubbub and hullabaloo 


Gullible you, boys make noise, buffed toys, a hell of a crew 


Now they clamor for the clamor when it bring the glitz and glamour


Cameras flashing with the fashion in the club they getting hammered 


And that commotion turned the wheels of capitalism into motion 


Our noise on top of charts, in ad campaigns to sell lotion 


So I keep my pants sagging and I don’t turn my noise down


Because that noise is the voice of the brown sounds in my towns.

Heems’ debut album, Eat Pray Thug, is out now.

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