If you haven’t heard of a Tribe Called Red yet, I suggest you keep them on your radar. Especially in the wake of the Dakota Access Pipeline debacle, which was settled, for now, at least: Standing Sioux Tribe = 1. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers = goose egg. There’s still a lot of ground to cover in improving relations between Native tribes and the federal government. But as Paper Boi’s character on the third episode of FX’s debut show Atlanta says, hip hop is about “making the best out of a bad situation.” That’s what Native artists of this country have done for centuries. Earlier in the summer this First Nations electronic/hip hop fusion three piece from Ottawa, Ontario released an artistic landscape-centered visual for their collaboration with Yasiin Bey (Formerly Mos Def) on the song “R.E.D.” This month, they followed that up with “Sila,”an EDM/hip hop-infused stunner featuring Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq. Their contagious blend of contemporary EDM, dance music, and traditional First Nations sound comes second to none. They are a strong representation of Native people nation-wide and are the musical shapeshifters of future generations of music.
Post by Jessica Brant
