Heroes x Villains’ Daniel Disaster: Trap ambassador to the world
Disaster has continually worked Southern rap into dance clubs on the grimy coattails of post-dub step - rebranded as trap music
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Last year, CL named Daniel Disaster Best Trap Ambassador At Large. As one-half of the duo Heroes x Villains (with Pete Heartless), Disaster worked that role, taking Southern rap into dance clubs on the grimy coattails of post-dub step - rebranded as trap music. Through it all he’s attracted a multicultural fan base of kids by playing at Ivy League frat house parties and artsy sticky-floor clubs, while growing a worldwide following.
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Heroes x Villains threw its first Molotov cocktail into 2012 a month before the New Year with the We Off That mixtape. This trap-dub mix for Diplo’s Mad Decent label (home to Zeds Dead and Zebra Katz) rubbed grime all over a handful of cuts by Gucci Maine and Wocka Flacka, giving rise to a hybrid that got old school crunk fans paying attention to dub step, and bangers listening to rap.
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HxV kept things live in early 2012 with the BLRRXD OXT series, which kicked off with a screwed remix of the Weeknd’s “IM NEXT” (since anything about the Weeknd needs to be more screwed). Young Jeezy and Charlie XCX also got remixed. Next came the mixtape Transformers in the Hood, by the ATL rap group FKi, which HxV produced alongside Diplo and local EDM producer Mayhem. The mix kept it trap with appearances by Iggy Azalea and T.I., and included the songs “Smashmouth,” which continues getting some radio play - the video shows off cool kids of all races getting equally trashed.