Roots of Das Racist

Francis and the Lights is an American music project created by Francis Farewell Starlite. The term "and the Lights" refers both to the lights on a stage and pixels on a computer screen. Francis Farewell Starlite is an American musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is primarily a vocalist and pianist and is often credited by the Francis and the Lights name for his solo work. He is a frequent collaborator of artists and producers such as Kanye West, Justin Vernon, Cashmere Cat, Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal, Frank Ocean, and Banks.

Steven Adam Markowitz, known professionally as Hoodie Allen, is an American rapper. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he began working at Google before ultimately quitting to pursue a full-time career in hip-hop.

Jaime Stuart Meline, better known by the stage name El-P, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a member of the widely acclaimed Company Flow, and has been a driving force in alternative hip-hop since the 1990s. He is now most widely-known as one half of Run the Jewels. He has produced for rappers including Aesop Rock, Cage, and Mr. Lif. He was a member of The Weathermen and was the co-founder, owner, and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label.

Bonde do Rolê was a Brazilian funk carioca-influenced electropop group from Curitiba, Paraná state, and consisted of MC's Pedro D'Eyrot, Laura Taylor, and DJ/MC Rodrigo Gorky. In 2006, Rolling Stone described the group as "Brazilian Party Starters" and one of the "Top 10 Bands to Watch".

Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray and Skoob. They named themselves "DAS" standing for "Dray and Skoob" and "EFX" meaning "effects". They rose to popularity in the early 1990s due to the duo's stream of consciousness lyrical delivery, which became one of the most influential lyrical styles in hip hop music at the time; as well as their affiliation with EPMD's Hit Squad. Their style combined intricate rhymes, sometimes mixed with made up words, delivered with a fast-paced flow and numerous pop culture and hip hop culture references.

Modern Vampires of the City is the third studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on May 14, 2013, by XL Recordings. The group began to write songs for the album during soundchecks on the supporting concert tour for their previous album, 2010's Contra. After a period in which each member explored individual musical projects, they regrouped and continued working on Modern Vampires of the City in 2011. With no deadline in mind, the band brought in an outside record producer for the first time, Ariel Rechtshaid, to record the album.