Shadowrunners are the big-boned duo stamping their mark on the rap landscape.
Mexicans Can’t Rap. More a rhetorical question than an R. Kelly confession, Himself The Majestic disputes it with verses so seasoned they must come from south of the border. Andres Garcia (a.k.a. Himself) is one half of rap duo Shadowrunners. The second half, Froskees, pimps beats. “I’m trying to get a green card,” jokes Garcia, in response to a question about insecurities centered upon being an Mexican MC. Mexicans Can’t Rap Vol. 1 & 2 was more a ‘fuck you’ to people who were very prejudice towards me when I was coming out. They kind of look at it as like stereotypical Chicano rappers. I’m kind of like an outsider in that sense.” Shadowrunners’ single ‘Gary Oak Swag‘ has basked in over 10,000 views, and their signature NES sound obliges listeners with its socks-and-sandals mixture of beats and lyrics. The subject matter, which can be quite dark (“I don’t fit in with society / I need to vent my hate”) is, upon a closer listen, quite profound. It’s not superfluous—or ‘spongy’, like the bun of an In-N-Out burger—but rife with intricacies.
Shadowrunners debut LP, Cyberdine, is out now and features fellow slayers DCxDCxDC, Antwon and Western Tink.
Text: Trey Taylor
Photography and film: Alvin Carrillo
