Lafandar

Following a six-year break from music, Lafandar sees a return for the rapper under his newly found label Veena Sounds.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2024/01/23/heems-announces-new-album-lafandar-shares-song|title=Heems announces new album Lafandar, shares song|last=Darville|first=Jordan|website=The Fader|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}} The album is a collaboration project with Indian-American producer Lapgan, whose project History previously marked the first release on the label.{{cite web|url=https://floodmagazine.com/152601/listen-heems-saul-williams-accent/|title=Heems Announces Return with Lafandar LP, Shares Single "Accent" Featuring Saul Williams|last=Schube|first=Will|website=Flood|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}} The producer incorporated various "cinematic South Asian samples" on the record that are set to compliment Heems' trademark "laugh-out-loud wit".{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/heems-returns-with-new-album-lafandar-brings-das-racist-mixtapes-to-vinyl|title=Heems Returns with New Album Lafandar, Brings Das Racist Mixtapes to Vinyl|last=Slingerland|first=Calum|website=Exclaim!|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}}

Lafandar features guest appearances by Kool Keith, Open Mike Eagle, Quelle Chris, Your Old Droog, Saul Williams, Blu, Sid Sriram, and Sonnyjim.{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/heems-announces-first-solo-album-in-9-years-shares-accent-ft-saul-williams/|title=Heems announces first solo album in 9 years, shares "Accent" ft. Saul Williams|last=Sacher|first=Andrew|website=BrooklynVegan|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}} On January 23, 2024, the rapper announced the album alongside the release of the lead single "Accent" featuring Williams.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/das-racist-heems-announces-first-album-in-nearly-a-decade-shares-new-song-listen/|title=Heems Announces First Album in Nearly a Decade, Shares New Song: Listen|last=Corcoran|first=Nina|website=Pitchfork|date=January 23, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}} On February 6, the rapper released the second single "Sri Lanka", a collaboration with Your Old Droog that sees them trading "punchlines".{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2250647/heems-sri-lanka-feat-your-old-droog/music/|title=Heems – "Sri Lanka" (Feat. Your Old Droog)|last=Breihan|first=Tom|website=Stereogum|date=February 6, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}}

Pranav Trewn at Stereogum awarded Lafandar the accolade "album of the week", saying that the collaboration resulted in Heem's "most focused performance" since his Das Racist days. The rapper is not "sending up the genre" but brings "it back down to earth" and, as a result, delivers "the ideal" record he had been striving for "since 2008". Trewn sees Lafandar as "a landmark in the growing wave of Indo-Western hip-hop" as well as a "quintessential New York rap album". The editor also cites a broad soundscape with songs that "draw from across continents" as a work born from "requisite ambition", praising the production by Lapgan in particular.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2250941/heems-lapgan-lafandar/reviews/album-of-the-week/|title=Album Of The Week: Heems & Lapgan Lafandar|last=Trewn|first=Pranav|website=Stereogum|date=February 13, 2024|access-date=February 13, 2024}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Lafandar track listing

| extra_column =

| title1 = Stupid Dumb Illiterate

| note1 = with Sid Sriram

| writer1 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Sid Sriram}}

| length1 = 2:18

| title2 = I'm Pretty Cool

| writer2 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan}}

| length2 = 2:22

| title3 = Sri Lanka

| note3 = with Your Old Droog

| writer3 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Your Old Droog}}

| length3 = 2:07

| title4 = Accent

| note4 = with Saul Williams

| writer4 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Saul Williams}}

| length4 = 2:29

| title5 = Going for 6

| note5 = with Sonnyjim and Abhi the Nomad

| writer5 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Sonnyjim|Abhi the Nomad}}

| length5 = 3:16

| title6 = Bab Ganoush

| note6 = with Lee Scott and Cool Calm Pete

| writer6 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Lee Scott|Cool Calm Pete}}

| length6 = 3:46

| title7 = Obi Toppin (Darling)

| note7 = with Kool Keith

| writer7 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Kool Keith}}

| length7 = 2:09

| title8 = Kala Tika

| writer8 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan}}

| length8 = 2:41

| title9 = Yellow Chakra

| note9 = with Sir Michael Rocks and Open Mike Eagle

| writer9 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Sir Michael Rocks|Open Mike Eagle}}

| length9 = 3:02

| title10 = Porches

| note10 = with Blu and Quelle Chris

| writer10 = {{hlist|Heems|LapganBlu|Quelle Chris}}

| length10 = 3:07

| title11 = Bukayo Saka

| writer11 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan}}

| length11 = 2:36

| title12 = Your Momma

| note12 = with Fatboi Sharif

| writer12 = {{hlist|Heems|Lapgan|Fatboi Sharif}}

| length12 = 3:40

| total_length = 33:33

}}

• Heems – vocals
• Lapgan – production, programming
• Ryan Rajagopal – mastering
• Daniel Lynas – mixing

{{reflist}}

{{Heems}}

Category:2024 albums

Category:Heems albums

Category:Mass Appeal Records albums