Black Hesher (a/k/a King Shem) is an old friend of The Static Dive. The San Diego rapper, record producer and label owner has appeared on these pages numerous times. We have featured his own solo projects as well as those of his Cult Muzic homies. A few months ago Shem said he was leaving the spotlight to work in the background, supporting the artists on his roster. At least, that was his plan. But the universe doesn’t allow great songwriters to stay silent for long. One way or another, he was destined to step back up to the mic.
“Drag Me 2 Hell” is the new single from Black Hesher, dropped to all major streaming services on March 1, 2021. It’s release is an anomaly of sorts for the prolific producer. In recent history he has averaged about two full-length solo albums per year. His new song is a rare single-only release. Its arrival surprises Shem himself as much as anyone.
I’ve been playing this song live for like 2 years, never thought to release it. I played it last Saturday in one of the first legal live concerts in San Diego. People went nuts, hitting me up looking for it. I guess you never know, right?
Black Hesher
What they heard was a song that packs all the best bits of the Black Hesher sound into a smart and ridiculously catchy three minute song. In his signature autobiographical and brutally honest style, he tells of some dark times in his life. He delivers that narrative with plenty of humor, and he is backed by a simple but exciting multi-genre Pop groove.
The tune opens with a Rave-worthy EDM synth melody. A piano and guitar join the mix, playing a simple and immediately memorable Pop chord progression. Then Shem comes in with a catchy melodic rap about some very hard days. Although he is rhyming about money and drug problems, it feels positive. As the song progresses we realize that the triumphant implication of the sound is not actually leading us to victory over adversity. On the contrary, by the time we reach the chorus we are fist-pumping and singing along in communal nihilism, “Oh well, you can drag me to Hell. Cuz I don’t give a shit. It must be better than this!”
Check out the excellent “Drag Me 2 Hell,” below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Indie Dive and Deep Indie Beat playlists. You can find all Cult Muzic artists on bandcamp. And follow the links below to connect with Black Hesher on all the socials.