Swetshop Boys Heems and Riz MC Sample Epic Parody on “Benny Lava”

How do you sample a Tamil song that became internet-famous for hilarious mondegreens and turn it into a fantastic rap song? That’s a skill that New York rapper Heems aka Himanshu Suri [formerly of hip hop group Das Racist] and London rapper and actor Riz MC aka Riz Ahmed seem to have perfected. Heems and Riz MC, who formed a rap group named Swetshop Boys in 2013,  have released the video for “Benny Lava,” the first song off their upcoming three-track EP due in June. 

In the video co-directed by Prashant Bhargava [who was previously worked with jazz pianist Vijay Iyer] and New York director Tanuj Chopra, Heems and Riz MC split verses on cultural identities as they roam the streets of New York. “Benny Lava” features beats produced by Canadian DJ Ryan Hemsworth, sampling Tamil song “Kalluri Vaanil” from the 2000 film Pennin Manathai Thottu, starring Prabhu Deva. Heems, who is currently in India, will play a DJ set at TLR Cafe in Delhi on March 22nd.

Watch Swetshop Boys perform “Benny Lava” 

Watch the original “Benny Lava” spoof of “Kalluri Vaanil” created by YouTube user Buffalax below.