Supports Sudan Archives March 3rd-13th, 2020 (select dates)
South Indian rap group Cartel Madras have just announced their first-ever U.S. shows in support of the Age of the Goonda EP, their Sub Pop debut, available now on all DSPs. The duo will support Stones Throw recording artist Sudan Archives beginning March 3rd in Minneapolis at 7th Street Entry and ending March 13th in Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s (select dates). Preceding the tour Cartel Madras will also headline Barboza in Seattle on January 16th. For updated information on tickets and live performances, please visit subpop.com/artists/cartel_madras/tours.
Jan. 16 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Mar. 03 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry * Mar. 04 - Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village * Mar. 05 - Detroit, MI - Deluxx Fluxx * Mar. 06 - Toronto, ON - Longboat Hall * Mar. 07 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz Mar. 09 - Allston, MA - Great Scott * Mar. 11 - Washington, DC - Union Stage * Mar. 12 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom * Mar. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s *
* w/ Sudan Archives
Cartel Madras’ Age of the Goonda EP, featuring the singles “Goonda Gold” and “Lil’ Pump Type Beat,” is available now worldwide through all DSPs from Sub Pop (with the exception of Canada through Royal Mountain Records).
What people are saying about Cartel Madras’ Age of the Goonda: “They’ve got an absolutely wicked flow — think M.I.A. meets Cardi B. Hints of traditional Tamil music are sprinkled throughout.” [“Goonda Gold”] - Stereogum
“Age of the Goonda is an invigorating five-track blast…More, please.” - The Wire
“At its core, Age of the Goonda is trap music: it’s brash, it’s rowdy and it’s fun. But laced throughout are nods to South Asian culture, Hinduism, race and queer identity that speak specifically to people who see themselves in one or more of those spaces.” - Exclaim!
“Comprised of six tracks, the EP possesses layered bass lines pumped with adrenaline, a range of Indian classical instruments weaved in and hooks that stay in your brain for days.” [Age of the Goonda] - NME
“Age of the Goonda provides an electrifying burst of the duo’s live show energy in concentrated form.” - Loud & Quiet
“There’s a lot more to come from the duo, with Eboshi and Contra firing together trap and their South Indian heritage with an almost punk-like relish for DIY. New EP Age Of The Goonda..is an explosion that should resonate in all corners of the globe. The EP is led by fiery new hymn ‘Goonda Gold’ and it emphasizes their pan-continent mosaic of sound - ‘goonda’ means thug, a word used across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.” [“Goonda Gold”] - CLASH
“In pop analogy, this hip-hop duo comprising Calgary-bred, Chennai-born siblings Bhagya and Priya Ramesh is somewhat like a Tamil Pulp Fiction-meets-MIA. With a carousel of bad-ass, no-fucks-given, brown girl anthems, Cartel Madras is brought to life by two sisters who don’t shy of braggadocio (you can’t miss their stack of gold jewelry) as they spout songs about feminism, empowerment and inclusivity.” [“12 New Musicians Set to Breakthrough in 2020”] - Vogue India
1. The powerful juxtaposition of a Western term aimed at ghettoizing other cultures and the English colonial name foisted on Chennai, India; 2. A queer, female, Desi act igniting a revolution because they’re sick of this bullshit
“We really want people who come to our shows to feel like they’ve been punched in the face,” says Contra, one-half of rap provocateurs Cartel Madras, of their FOMO-inducing live shows. “It’s like a riot just passed you, and you’re like, ‘What was that? What did I just experience?’” But also, “‘How do I do that again?’”
Cartel Madras also includes Contra’s sibling, Eboshi—both born in Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and raised in Calgary, Canada. Like their upbringing, their music is a cultural syncretism, a heady mix of trap with punk, house, and South Indian aesthetics that they’ve anointed “goonda rap.” Their second EP is Age of the Goonda, (out November 1st, 2019 on Sub Pop Records), a sonically expansive successor to their first EP, Trapistan, which boasted the party-down hit “Pork & Leek. A manifesto for the times, Age of the Goonda is an in-your-face call to arms for—immigrants, women of color, the LGBTQ+ community, Desis (a.k.a. Westernized Indians)—those who must resist being treated as underdogs.
“Goonda Gold” is the EP’s central pulse, its anthem. “When you hear it, it feels big like you’re watching this crazy-ass gangsta movie,” says Contra. “And it does borrow from certain vintage South Indian filminess.” Rapid-fire in delivery—“Gold on my neck I’m a goonda / Got guns in the air like a junta”—and hastened along by shimmery beats from D.C. Desi upstart SkinnyLocal, it pointedly shows off the duo’s legit rapping skills.
The new track is available worldwide through all DSPs from Sub Pop, with the exception of Canada through Royal Mountain Records.
Cartel Madras (aka Eboshi and Contra) is sharing the official video for “Goonda Gold” the duo’s new single, directed by Bhaveek Makan and Jashan Makan (see CLASH premiere October 7th).
The “Goonda Gold” video integrates the Desi influence in the track, compelling visuals, and the fashion of the Goondas. There is tension throughout the video, but at the heart of the song, it is an anthemic party track.
Eboshi says of the “Goonda Gold” video, “This is a song for the underdog. We are two queer, POC rappers that are actively creating space for ourselves and other artists like us. ‘Goonda Gold’ announces itself and demands your attention. We wanted a video that was true to the nature and the sound of the ‘Goonda.’ We wanted to convey how our audiences feel when they hear this song. ‘Goonda Gold’ captures the danger and excitement of Cartel Madras.” And Contra adds this, “We’ve always imagined the Goonda as someone from different walks of life moving through the world fiercely, readying themselves for a fight. Gold chains on, cut lip; this song is for the baddies.”
The “Goonda Gold” single is available now at all DSPs worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Royal Mountain Records. The track is from Age of The Goonda, the duo’s forthcoming EP, out November 1st, 2019.
Cartel Madras has added a few new Canadian dates to its performance schedule for 2019, which now ends December 13th in Toronto at Danforth Music Hall (supporting Hollerado). New shows include: supporting Sub Pop labelmates Clipping at The Garrison in Toronto on October 11th; A show in Lethbridge, Alberta at Firehall No. 1 on October 26th; And opening for Fetty Wap in Calgary at McMahon Stadium for the Fusion: Music + Grey Cup Show on November 22nd. There will be U.S. live dates announced soon.
Oct. 11 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison ^ Oct. 26 - Lethbridge, AB - Firehall No.1 Nov. 14 - Peterborough, ON - Red Dog Tavern* Nov. 15 - London, ON - Rum Runners Music Hall* Nov. 16 - Oshawa, ON - The Music Hall* Nov. 22 - Calgary, AB - McMahon Stadium / Fusion: Music + Grey Cup Show ** Dec. 13 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall*
Available worldwide in all DSPs from Sub Pop and in Canada through Royal Mountain Records.
Cartel Madras (aka Eboshi and Contra) have shared official video for “Lil Pump Type Beat,” the duo’s hyperkinetic (and cheekily-titled) new single, directed by Asim Overstands and Vince Raquel, and produced by Thotpolice (see Hip Hop DXpremiere September 4th).
Cartel Madras members Eboshi and Contra had this to say of the “Lil Pump Type Beat, “We wanted to make a fun trap song that captures the explosive energy of our live shows. We also wanted to give a nod to type beats and their ubiquity. Our shows often turn into sweaty mosh pits, so the video had to be an extension of that. It was really fun - especially having a ton of shirtless dudes moshing while we dictate the energy in the video from the middle, with the drip.”
The “Lil Pump Type Beat” single was produced by Cartel Madras, Oso Familiar, and Casey Lewis, mixed by Jae Sterling and Lewis at Echo Base Studio in Calgary, and is available now at all DSPs worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Royal Mountain Records. The track is from Age of The Goonda, the duo’s forthcoming EP, out November 1st, 2019.
Cartel Madras Tour Dates
Cartel Madras has scheduled a series of Canadian dates for the remained of 2019, which span September 8th in Winnipeg, Manitoba at Bastid BBQ through November 16th in Oshawa, Ontario at The Music Hall. Along the way, the duo will support Hollerado (November 14th-16th), make appearances at the Bastid BBQ (with DJ Maseo of De La Soul and Lil Brother), Quebec’s LVL Up Festival, and Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach (with Mac DeMarco, Prince Innocence, Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa). There will be U.S. live dates announced soon.
Sep. 08 - Winnipeg, MB - Bastid’s BBQ (at La Carnita) ^ Sep. 21 - Laval, QC - LVL Up Festival (at Place Bell Esplanade - Outdoor) Sep. 24 - Toronto, ON - RBC Echo Beach # Nov. 14 - Peterborough, ON - Red Dog Tavern* Nov. 15 - London, ON - Rum Runners Music Hall* Nov. 16 - Oshawa, ON - The Music Hall*
* w/ Hollerado ^ w/ Dj Maseo of De La Soul, Brother Ali # w/ with Mac DeMarco, Prince Innocence, Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa
1. The powerful juxtaposition of a Western term aimed at ghettoizing other cultures and the English colonial name foisted on Chennai, India; 2. A queer, female, Desi act igniting a revolution because they’re sick of this bullshit
“We really want people who come to our shows to feel like they’ve been punched in the face,” says Contra, one-half of rap provocateurs Cartel Madras, of their FOMO-inducing live shows. “It’s like a riot just passed you, and you’re like, ‘What was that? What did I just experience?’” But also, “‘How do I do that again?’”
Cartel Madras also includes Contra’s sibling, Eboshi—both born in Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and raised in Calgary, Canada. Like their upbringing, their music is a cultural syncretism, a heady mix of trap with punk, house, and South Indian aesthetics that they’ve anointed “goonda rap.” Their second EP is Age of the Goonda, a sonically expansive successor to their first EP, Trapistan, which boasted the party-down hit “Pork & Leek. A manifesto for the times, Age of the Goonda is an in-your-face call to arms for—immigrants, women of color, the LGBTQ+ community, Desis (a.k.a. Westernized Indians)—those who must resist being treated as underdogs (read more at Sub Pop dotcom).
Sub Pop has signed Cartel Madras, a hip-hop duo who are spearheading a new genre of trap music, Goonda rap. Madras-born sisters Eboshi and Contra are known for their confrontational, high-energy and sexually commanding style of rap; this rising duo flaunts their South Indian identity with authority and expresses their gender and sexuality with a candor that is imperative to why and how Cartel Madras exists. We will release new music from the group in the near future, but for now check out the official video for “Pork and Leek”from TRAPISTAN, their debut mixtape from 2018.
Ishmael Butler, who signed the group had this to say, “The energy and passion they bring combined with their superior rapping skills makes the Cartel a must hear and see. Excitement is the main ingredient of their magic. On record and on stage they glow under the spotlight. They’re electric, totally tapped into the current. And c’mon two fly sisters spitting heat? Real rare…it’s too good.”
Cartel Madras has a few Canadian festival shows on the horizon, including Calgary’s Sled Island on June 21st, Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario on July 12th, Ottawa’s Bluesfest on July 13th, and Up Here Fest in Sudbury, Ontario on August 17th.
More on Cartel Madras: Owning sexuality, racial identity, and gender identity are recurring themes in Cartel Madras’ music. Though these themes are already present in hip hop, Cartel pushes them to even more subversive places by applying them to immigrant women. In this way, Eboshi and Contra created Cartel Madras as a mission to authentically represent the underrepresented.
Their live performances—which boldly combine elements of the underground trap, queer, and punk scenes—have been compared to full-blown riots. After just one year, word of mouth grew so profoundly that Cartel Madras had amassed a loyal organic following and media coverage.
Their debut mixtape, TRAPISTAN, captures this live energy. Contra and Eboshi enter the world of trap loudly, abrasively, unapologetically—signaling to their growing fan base that they intend to bring something entirely new to hip hop. Over booming beats, the sisters’ rap with ease through a new genre that brings together trap, house, and gangster rap with the narratives of being Tamil born, immigrant raised, and sexually empowered as women of color and women who are queer.
Cartel Madras TRAPISTAN
Tracklisting: 1. Red Notice 2. Housey (Thirsti Thots 2 Tha Front) 3. Eric Andre (Slick Rick James) 4. Pork and Leek 5. Kuthu Pattu
