Listen to New Tracks from MC and Producer Beaatz, from the City Natives Crew
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DOWNLOAD: The Last Stand Mixtape - Vol. 1
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RPM is proud to bring you an exclusive premiere of The Last Stand Mixtape, Vol. 1—a groundbreaking new compilation of Indigenous music, hip-hop, and spoken word.
If storytelling is the lifeblood of Indigenous creative expression, hip-hop has become its most recognizable and resonant form.
Across Indian Country, Native artists are uniting in common consciousness to effect change in their communities and to take a stand to express what they believe in. And they're rocking mics while doing it.
The Last Stand Mixtape, Vol. 1 brings together a rising generation of Indigenous voices dedicated to using art and music for social change. More than a year in the making, the compilation features a who's who of emerging artists mixing hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word poetics over the mixtape's 22 heartfelt tracks.
From Mic Jordan's impassioned opener "#DearNativeYouth" and Enter Tribal's "Love of My Life", to new joints from Tall Paul, Frank Waln, and Def-I, the mixtape includes Native hip-hop from across Turtle Island, plus soulful R&B jams from the likes of Desirae Harp and Inez Jasper.
But it's the addition of spoken word that sets The Last Stand apart. Poetry courses through the album's veins. It weaves through the beat-based tracks with new pieces from The 1491s' Bobby Wilson, Tanaya Winder, and Rowie Shebala, to the beatbox rhyming of Lyla June Johnson's "Sundance Year Round".
The Last Stand Mixtape represents the best aspects of being Indigenous in the 21st century: it's rooted in culture, pushing the boundaries of what's expected, and building a community ready to stand up to anything.
So, as America gathers around the dinner table to binge on turkey and colonial conquest, today's a good to day to give thanks for something worth celebrating—the survival and artistry of Indigenous youth bringing power back to Native America.
Stream and download: The Last Stand Mixtape, Vol. 1
TRACK LIST
- Mic Jordan - #DearNativeYouth
- Supaman - Raise Em
- Marlon Footracer - Dear Native Youth
- Enter Tribal - The Love of My Life
- Desirae Harp - Center of the Earth
- Rowie Shebala - Indian Phoenix
- Bobby Wilson - All Rise
- Tall Paul - All Kingz
- Autumn White Eyes - Indigene
- Hannabah Blue - I Don't Want to Be Sick Anymore
- BazilleDx - A Tribute to Pain
- David Rico - The Rez Don't Visit
- Lee Francis - Crack in the Mesa
- Def-I - The Land of En*Frack*Ment
- Tanaya Winder - Ain't No Sunshine
- Inez Jasper - Fallen Soldier
- Reed Bobroff - The Four Elements of Ghost Dance
- Wake Self - Today Was Like
- Lyla June Johnson - Sundance Year Round
- Echo Slim - On the Road
- Frank Waln - Victory Song
- Thomas X - Celebrate
Download The Last Stand Mixtape, Vol. 1 at laststandmixtape.bandcamp.com
DOWNLOAD: Mob Bounce's 'Mob Medicine', A Powerful Debut Album of Indigenous Hip-Hop
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Rising Indigenous hip-hop duo Mob Bounce drop their hotly-anticipated new album, Mob Medicine.
Gitxsan MC The Northwest Kid and Cree/Métis MC Heebz the Earthchild have been locked in the studio working on their "grassroots labour of love" for a minute now, but the hype has been building for their debut album to drop.
Well, the wait is over. Mob Medicine is here.
A self-produced effort featuring the two MCs trading conscious bars over decidedly abstract hip-hop beats, Mob Bounce combines west coastal naturalistic imagery and acoustic poetry with more rugged spiritual anthems dedicated to uplifiting the Indigenous community.
From the spoken word melodics of "Land of Giant Dragonflies" to hypnotic healing joints like "New Sage" and the half-sung, eerily melancholic "Starseed", the duo pushes out beyond the limits of masculinist rap bravado and into more intimate and interior territory.
Mid-album cuts like "Walk With Our Sisters", a crackling rhythmic dedication to missing and murdered Indigenous women, and the early single, "Oral Tradition", find Mob Bounce bringing their commitment to culture, family, and community to the forefront, but it's in the album's closing tracks, like the sublime "Sacred Space" featuring Drezus, that their music really finds its spirited groove, infusing the Mob's open-hearted aesthetics with hip-hop's urgency and prophetic poetics.
Don't sleep. This is just the first step on their journey. Get a dose of that good Mob Medicine and like they tell it, #burnsageeveryday.
Stream the album in full below or head to mobbouncemusic.com and grab the free download.
Mob Bounce - Mob Medicine Track List:
1. Cree Dance Clearwater Revival 2. Redfist 3. Culture 4. Animal Spirit Interlude Poem 5. Animal Spirit 6. Land of Giant Dragonflies by Wysper Light 7. Welcome to the Struggle 8. Baldhead with Braids 9. New Sage 10. Starseed Interlude Poem 11. Starseed 12. Redboy 13. Walk With Our Sisters 14. Oral Tradition 15. Brush That Rain 16. Our People Were Sleeping But Now We’re Awake 17. Stay With Me 18. All My Relations 19. Sacred Space (Keep it Real) Ft. Drezus 20. Grandpa’s Journey Song
Stream Mob Bounce's "Mob Medicine"
DOWNLOAD: Angel Haze's New Mixtape, "Back to the Woods", is Next Level Amazing
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No more waiting. The new Angel Haze project, Back to the Woods, is here.
Get it for free. Until midnight. Right now.
This "accidental masterpiece" is already blowing our minds. Angel Haze is elevating their game to a stratospheric level.
Following a string of increasingly dope releases, from Reservation and Classick to Haze's killer debut studio album, Dirty Gold, in 2013, Back to the Woods arrives at a time of tremendous emotional upheaval in their life, but one that inspired incredible development in haze's personal growth and creative expression.
In an interview with Billboard, Haze talks about what they're hoping listeners will take away from the project:
I listen to this record and I hear an exponential amount of growth. Not just as a person, but as an artist. I don't really know what people will take away from it, because I think interpretation is up to everybody. I just hope in some way, shape or form, they understand that I am who I am. I am just trying to feel my way through life. I'm not trying to take a form. I'm not trying to change any minds. I'm just expressing myself, and if you feel it, you feel it. If you don't, then they motherf—king don't, and that's just it.
Back to the Woods is a bombastic assault that rolls out over 11 tracks of Tk Kayembe-produced firepower. Rugged, raw, badass, and overflowing with strength and purpose—Angel Haze is taking rap out of this world and into the beyond.
Check the Back to the Woods album release party September 14th at Baby's Alright in Brooklyn, New York. The album is available worldwide on iTunes, Spotify, and other music retailers.
DOWNLOAD: Angel Haze - Back to the Woods
ANGEL HAZE - BACK TO THE WOODS - TRACKLIST
Tracklist for #BACKTOTHEWOODS @AngelHaze pic.twitter.com/UWRwqDx6Dz
— UniversalMusicCanada (@universalmusicC) September 14, 2015
PREMIERE: YK The Mayor - "Fall"
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Winnipeg rapper YK The Mayor returns with his new single, "Fall".
After dropping the hype single, "In My Dreams", back in June, Winnipeg hip-hop artist YK The Mayor (fka Young Kidd), is back with his latest.
The CTL Records artist keeps things live and direct on "Fall", calling out the haters and doubters who've questioned YK's ability to reclaim his position in the hip-hop limelight after his recent hiatus doing time—and on how, since he's been away, he didn't know what Snapchat was.
Enlisting the talents of Anishinaabe Boogey the Beat on production, the atmospheric, melodic trap beat provides a vibed-out complement to YK's shout outs to his fam and collaborators. After dropping a sneak peak of the track on Instagram this week, leading up to the single's release, Boogey declares "Fall" to be YK the Mayor's "official return"—but, more than that, the track is an ode to their hometown of #WonderfulWinnipeg and a bold declaration that they're aiming "to take back the city that is rightfully theirs".
Get with it.
STREAM: YK The Mayor - "Fall"
Angel Haze Destroys Everyone in the Rap Game on "Babe Ruthless"
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Shapeshifter and ever-hype emcee Angel Haze is taking no prisoners on her new track, "Babe Ruthless".
Ruthless is the word here. Raw, rugged, renegade rap monster Angel Haze annihilates all competition on the track—transforming into her Machiavellian alter ego and proceeding to kick some of the illest successions of syllables she's ever released.
If this is any indication of where her forthcoming Back to the Woods mixtape (due September 14th) is headed, the rest of the hip-hop world is right to be protecting their necks.
The Tsalagi MC is out for more than just revenge. She wants it all.
You've been warned.
STREAM: Angel Haze - "Babe Ruthless"
DOWNLOAD: The Aboriginal Music Week Mixtape by Boogey the Beat
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RPM and Aboriginal Music Week are joining forces for an epic closing night party this year. Check our exclusive AMW Mixtape to get a taste of what's to come.
We enlisted the talent of rising Anishinaabe hip-hop producer and DJ Boogey the Beat to compile sounds from this year's AMW artists and it's the perfect soundtrack for #MixtapeMonday.
Bringing together hip-hop and R&B tracks from all of our closing night party performers including—Hellnback, Mariame, T-Rhyme, and Tall Paul—as well as the eclectic electronics of Exquisite Ghost, the rap stylings of Mic Jordan, a guest appearance by Lightning Cloud, and some of Boogey's own killer productions, this is a party rocking, beat-based excursion into the contemporary sounds of #IndigenousExcellence.
Let's go!
And don't forget to join us for the Aboriginal Music Week Closing Night Concert on Saturday, August 22nd at The Good Will in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Tickets and info here.
DOWNLOAD THE AMW MIXTAPE:
TRACK LISTING
- Boogey The Beat - The Beginning
- Exquisite Ghost - Bringing Dawn
- Exquisite Ghost - Hands To The Sky
- Hellnback - B.T.B.B. Ft. Lightning Cloud
- Hellnback - Spaceship
- Mariame - Electric
- Mariame - Native Ft. Supaman
- Boogey The Beat - Sidestep
- Boogey The Beat - Uja (Tanya Tagaq Remix)
- Mic Jordan - It Feels Good
- Mic Jordan - Miigwetch (Thank You)
- T-Rhyme - Apollo Red
- T-Rhyme - Tha Truth
- Tall Paul - I Don't Need Glove
- Tall Paul - Orange Juice In My Cereal
Watch City Natives Burn Through Their Verses in New Video for "Beast Mode"
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City Natives drop their new single and music video for "Beast Mode".
Over a banging Beaatz-produced beat, booming kick, stuttering snares, and jangling piano riff, the rap Voltron crew spit fire for three and a half straight minutes of rockin' rap goodness.
That's it. No frills and gimmicks. No makin' it rain in the club or gratuitous imagery. No fake records, just raw, rugged lyricism. True to form, City Natives bring the heat while standing their ground, reppin' the struggle while flexing their skills.
"Beast Mode" is the second single from their latest album, Voltron, which you can stream in its entirety right here.
If you don't know, now you know.
WATCH: City Natives - "Beast Mode"
City Natives' new album Voltron, is out now and available on iTunes
Aboriginal Music Week Closing Night Concert to Feature Drezus, Mariame, Hellnback, T-Rhyme, and Boogey the Beat
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RPM is proud to present an incredible night of Indigenous hip-hop, R&B, and trap music to conclude Aboriginal Music Week 2015.
The closing night of Aboriginal Music Week is the very definition of #IndigenousExcellence.
This year, RPM is partnering with AMW to bring you a concert featuring some of Indian Country's fastest rising hip-hop stars: Drezus, Mariame, Hellnback, T-Rhyme, and Boogey the Beat.
An accomplished young producer with a gift for booming beats and hypnotic melodies, Anishinaabe artist Boogey the Beat will bless us with his trap-infused rhythms. N'we Jinan artist and rising Cree R&B singer, Mariame, will be joining us from Quebec to perform songs from her recently released debut EP, Bloom. And, hailing from Saskatoon by way of Edmonton, self-described femcee T-Rhyme will bring her 'ATCQ to Jean Grae'-influenced hip-hop styles to the stage.
Rounding out this already incredible lineup, acclaimed Samson Cree hip-hop heavyweight and 2015 Indigenous Music Awards nominee, Hellnback, will give shine to tracks from his brand new record, F.O.E. (#FamilyOverEverything).
UPDATE: Tall Paul won't be able to make it, but hot off his recent Warpath Tour, we've got Cree hip-hop artist Drezus coming through to rep for the people and give us a dose of his banging beats and Native Pride-filled lyrics.
This is a closing party without compare and a showcase of what's next in native hip-hop and Indigenous music. You don't want to miss it.
Aboriginal Music Week, an annual celebration of "the fact that Indigenous artists around the world are creating music that crosses almost all musical and physical borders, without regret", runs from August 18-22, 2015 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
With a full lineup of Indigenous music events including the Spence Neighbourhood Block Party, the Turtle Island Block Party, an AMW stage at the Austin Street Festival, and a daytime stage at Picnic in the Park, this year's AWM is going to have something for every listener and music fan.
ABORIGINAL MUSIC WEEK: CLOSING NIGHT PARTY
Saturday, August 22, 2015 The Good Will (625 Portage Ave) Winnipeg, Manitoba 9pm - 2am / Tickets: $10 RSVP on Facebook: here
FEATURING:
- Drezus
- Mariame
- Hellnback
- T-Rhyme
- Boogey The Beat
For more information visit: aboriginalmusicweek.ca
City Natives Form Like Voltron, Listen to Their Rugged New Single, "Ruler"
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Stream "Ruler", the lead single from City Natives' new album, Voltron.
Voltron is not just the title of City Natives' latest album, it's also an apt metaphor for the crew's collective power.
Energized by Indigenous camaraderie and lyrical skill, the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia-based quartet of MCs and producers—Beaatz, IllFundz, Gearl, and BnE—has consistently delivered some of the dopest hip-hop coming out of Indian Country.
Last year's Red City was one of 2014's finest releases, and this year the group returns with their latest effort, Voltron, the crew's third LP. Continuing to build on the strength of their established sonic palette—rugged rhymes paired with head-knocking production—the crew's consistency trumps all else; and they're becoming increasingly adept at interweaving the dextrous flows and intricate wordplay between each MC. Every track on Voltron bumps like a long lost classic posse cut unearthed from the dusty crates of hip-hop's bedrock foundations.
On "Ruler", the crew declares their supremacy as "natural born lyricists" committed to maintaining hip-hop's ethos of self-determination and self-made success. There's no denying their claim to a rightful place in hip-hop's pantheon of greatness—but as an Indigenous crew, they're harnessing a uniquely native set of superpowers that makes their collective form all the more compelling and dynamic in what it represents for the people.
And, not that we can take the credit, but all the way back in 2013, we hailed their imminent ascendance as "a young Native rap Voltron" poised for break out success. Looks like it's taken City Natives a couple years to grow into the title. But they've earned it.
Tour dates and album purchase info below.
STREAM: City Natives - "Ruler"
CITY NATIVES - TOUR DATES :: SUMMER 2015
June 24th - Kingsclear, NB @ Jedi June 26th - Halifax, NS @ Multicultural Festival June 30th - Elsipogtog, NB @ CC's Bar July 3rd - Eskasoni, NS @ Pow Wow July 12th - Antigonish, NS @ Evolve Festival July 19th - Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Complex July 31st - Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Complex August 1st - Listuguj, QC - @ Real Bar August 8th - Toronto, ON @ Planet Indigenous August 19th - Millbrook, NS @ Summer Games August 30th - Charlottetown, PEI @ Babas Lounge
City Natives' Voltron is available now on iTunes. Stream the full album on Spotify below:
DOWNLOAD: Wake Self's "Different", featuring Equipto, Miles Bonny, and Raashan Ahmad
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Wake Self returns with the killer posse cut, "Different".
Aztec/Apache/Cherokee hip-hop artist, Wake Self, has been holding it down for a minute, and we'll be the first to admit that we've been sleeping on this incredibly talented MC.
But that's all done now. We're officially on board.
Following a dope freestyle flip of Drake's "0 to 100" instrumental a few months back, the Albuquerque-based MC jumps back into action with his latest joint, "Different", a dynamic posse cut featuring Bay Area MC Equipto, Miles Bonny, and Oakland’s Crown City Rocker Raashan Ahmad.
Wake Self's voice is instantly recognizable and his flow is undeniable, plus he's thoughtful, clever, and intelligent. Over a head-nodding beat produced by MaulSkull, Wake Self and his comrades spit some serious bars about keeping it true to self, embracing your uniqueness, and the need to actively uncage your imagination.
If knowledge of self is one of hip-hop's foundational elements, it's also an essential part of the struggle for decolonization and self-liberation.
So let these talented MCs take you on a trip to the forefront of the Indigenous hip-hop movement. They're chasing a dream bigger than fame and money, and that's the path to self-love and acceptance—a more powerful form of wealth than any material gain could give.
Like the chorus tells it: "you might be different / but that don't make no difference / just do what you gotta do".
True.
DOWNLOAD: Wake Self - "Different" feat. Equipto, Miles Bonny, and Raashan Ahmad
Wake Self's latest album, Good Things Happen to Those Who Wake, is available now at wakeself.com. His new album, Malala, is set to be released this summer.
Drezus Confronts the Legacy of Indian Residential Schools on "The Sequel"
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Get your daily dose of truth to power: download Drezus' "The Sequel".
Following the release of his acclaimed album Indian Summer last year, Plains Cree hip-hop artist Drezus has been dropping singles on SoundCloud that provide deeper context on the album's inspiration.
Recently, he posted "The Sequel", a heartfelt and personal account of his parents' experiences with residential schools—and his own attempts to reckon with the intergenerational legacy of colonialism. Drezus explains:
I decided to put this up for download after I reunited with my Dad recently and we spoke about his experiences with Residential School. His parents were forced to go as well, creating problems for all generations ahead, including mine. I didn't know my Dad growing up but recently made peace with the man and felt this tells an important story of just one of many families affected by the system.
The Rezofficial alumnus uses his time on the mic wisely, not just to account for the loss of his father's presence, but to call out the collective confusion of "the new world order" and call on his people "to take back all that we own".
Impassioned and honest, without being corny, "The Sequel" reminds us that we're all still trying to recuperate, and that "instead of killing our own / we should focus on our fam and protecting our home".
Tapwe, brother. Keep bringing that fire.
DOWNLOAD: Drezus - "The Sequel"
