INTRODUCTION
From the day I conceived of the
notion to make a blog to this very moment has been a real journey, an
eye-opening adventure. When I first set out on this path, I had no clear rhyme
(pun intended) or reason. As per the goal of my course, I was to explore a
theme about Native American, but what I really wanted was to create something
meaningful that connected with my life’s passion: MUSIC. Although I listen to a
wide range of music on a daily basis —at time of this writing my iTunes library
has more than 9,900 items— I don’t assume that I know every genre out there.
When I thought about modern Native American music, music that wasn’t solely
flutes, tribal drums and chants, A Tribe Called Red came to mind….and no one
else. I was nearly convinced that my blog would be that electronic trio, whose
music I discovered one day last year thought was awesome for about three days
and then promptly dismissed ever since.
Flash forward to now: I’ve spent
countless hours digesting only a small fraction of the amazingly talented
Native American artists… and that’s only in the hip hop genre! There are
hundred of thousands of other types of artists, from electronic to rock and
even to jazz; there are artists that defy genre labels. But I digress, I found
that the most important and relevant genre for the contemporary Native Peoples
today is hip hop.
NATIVE AMERICAN HIP HOP ?
When I told my friends and family that I was starting a blog
on Native American hip hop, their response was always the predictable ‘there
are Native American hip hop artists?’ Short answer: Yes, there’s plenty and
these artists are musically some of the best musicians in hip hop regardless of
race or circumstance. In a world where mainstream rap/hip hop has become
sullied to either degrading women, flaunting money and social status, or
asserting how “hard” one is, these Native artists are the only ones still
keeping hip hop real. How does one keep hip hop real? By telling a real story,
not one that the mainstream public wants to hear.
THE STORYTELLERS
From dozens of talented, infectious Native American hip hop
artists, I managed to find 7 that embodied the spirit of storytelling and hip
hop. Each of these artists has a unique background that made them who they are
and an unrelenting drive to break new boundaries. These artists are on the
rise, on the cusp of a revolution that everyone needs to get hip to
immediately. Please check out my summary of each artist and discover the world
they inhabit:
WHY HIP HOP?... WHY NOT
HIP HOP ?
 |
| Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Photo by Aaron Huey |
Hip hop may have started in the Bronx, but the oral
storytelling traditions of Native Americans predates European contact by a long
shot. Hip hop is ideal for a storytelling culture, as it is the genre of music
that hinges most crucially upon words. Even in lyrical rock songs, the dialogue
is much more contained, usually clocking in at about eight bars compared to hip
hop songs that come in around 12 bars on the low end. In other words, hip hop
allows for a large window of opportunity, more time for a Native to express
him/herself… and for a people that have been silenced since 1492, extra time
makes all the difference. Hip hop is also the most accessible form of music:
these rappers all struggled in poverty and did not have the means to buy
expensive equipment and instruments; they utilized the instrument of their own
voice instead.
Perhaps most importantly, hip hop
is what the youth listens to. These rappers all understood that if they wanted to
grow their tribal community they had to recreate the culture moment by moment.
The youth had to embrace a new evolving culture in order to preserve old
traditions. Against a nation that refuses to acknowledge your sovereignty so
they can continue to break promises, the only way to survive is to sustain
culture. The only way to sustain culture is to stay relevant: modify the
traditional sports, speak the ancestral language, perform new dances at
rituals…keep progressing forward. Hip hop has always been a swirling mixture of
old and new, mixing new words on old beats and instrumentals. Naturally, Native
Americans are finding ways to keep their old traditional ways fresh once again.
HIP HOP AS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
When hip
hop started in the poorest district of America, the south Bronx, unheard voices
were finally able to broadcast their message. They were able to find solidarity
amongst other Blacks, relaying hope to those in similar hopeless situations.
Legendary hip hop pioneer Chuck D (of Public Enemy) dubbed hip hop the “CNN ofthe ghetto.” Finally Blacks were able to create dialogue about their issues,
their struggles and their frustrations. After listening to each of these Native
American hip hop artists, I’ve discovered the narrative is the same: members
struggling within the community can be reassured that their voices are being
expressed, their calls for help are not falling upon deaf ears.
 |
| Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Photo by Aaron Huey |
A corner stone of the global hip hop phenomenon is that of reclaiming lost space. Black individuals were cast aside to poor ghettos by an oppressive society, confined to spaces that society dictated. Hip hop was a means of reclaiming that space: in a physical sense taking any street corner or avenue to be a rap-battle stage or a b-boy arena, and in a more figurative sense by flooding into any space that had the right radio station on (or loud enough speakers). For Native Americans the struggle is even more overt: their lands have been seized out from under them and the government has forced tribes to relocate…and even still the government tampers with treaty lands. For Native voices to push back, invade the airways of cities through the medium of hip hop, is ultimately a form of reclaiming what’s rightfully theirs.
 |
| Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Photo by Aaron Huey |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Recently, Rebel Music has featured artist Frank Waln and others as they utilize their art as a form of rebellion, reclaiming their power and freedom; view the film series here. For another storyteller's perspective, I encourage you to watch Aaron Huey's TED talk on how reservations are in reality prisoner of war camps. In addition, please visit HonorTheTreaties.org to see other ways in which art and Native American activism have combined, and to get involved in the action... Especially relevant is the unbelievable list of all the treaties that various tribes have deemed broken, view that list here.
