RPM Podcast #007: "Native Hip-Hop"

Hip-hop is one of the most popular musical genres in Indian Country. In our seventh episode, we explore why the art of hip-hop is such a strong force in Indigenous music culture.

Our host Ostwelve talks with the one and only RedCloud from Huichol Nation about the shift from Indigenous artists being the "native version" of other artists to standing out as originals.

Forerunner in the growing movement of women in hip-hop, Cherokee/Mohawk MC Lakota Jonez weighs in on claiming her place in a male dominated scene.

And Cree artist DJ Creeasian draws parallels from b-boy/hip-hop culture to traditional dance, the drum, our elders and our storytelling culture.

You'll also hear beats from Cree/Dene artist No-1.

DOWNLOAD: RPM Podcast #007: "Native Hip-Hop"

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The RPM podcast is produced & engineered by the amazing Paolo Pietropaolo.

Photo illustration created by the talented Joi Arcand.

DOWNLOAD: Postcommodity - Excerpt from "Piles of Cougar Pelts"

Postcommodity is an interdisciplinary artist collective comprised of Kade L. Twist (Cherokee), Cristóbal Martínez (Mexica), Nathan Young (Pawnee, Kiowa) and Raven Chacon (Navajo).

This group of musicians have been on the scene since 2007, joining forces to make sound art, experimental noise and installationworks.

Look for RPM's interview with the collective tomorrow, but for now here's a snippet of one of their live performances from summer 2011.

DOWNLOAD: Postcommodity- Excerpt from "Piles of Cougar Pelts"

DOWNLOAD: Cindy Paul - "Now He Can Fancydance"

Métis artist Cindy Paul's album is aptly named This Northern Girl - raised in North Vermillion, the songs truly reflect Cindy's life experiences. Her writing weaves between rhythmic country and bluegrass, to soulful folk melodies like this heart-rending track. Her singing is rich, clear and manages to convey both strength and vulnerability, a kind of honesty that separates great singer-songwriters from the rest. Cindy sent this track to RPM and we're proud to share it with you. DOWNLOAD: Cindy Paul - "Now He Can Fancydance"

DOWNLOAD: Joy Harjo - "Perhaps the World Ends Here"

Joy Harjo's (Muskoke) Red Dreams, A Trail Beyond Tears is one of the runners in both Best Artist and the World Music Category at this year's Native American Music Awards (Nammy's) and a recent Indian Summer Music Awards winner. Harjo is a saxophone player and award winning poet and writer. Combining the two, Harjo accompanies her poetry with musical elements of tribal music, jazz and rock. Enjoy. DOWNLOAD: Joy Harjo - "Perhaps the World Ends Here"

STREAM: Magic Touch & DJ Markflip - "Native American Idol"

Wikwemikong Ojibway artists Magic Touch and DJ Markflip's new single from their forthcoming album Native American Idol reveals a new electro/rock/hiphop sound. With a dancefloor groove and dirty synth, the result is not your typical hard rap influenced hiphop. The track dips into electro and dubstep while maintaining the mark of hipop in the rap style used. Magic Touch is known for his contributions to the multi-award winning  Singsoulgirl project by Inez and as a member Starmakerz - this latest project surely matches that calibre. STREAM: Magic Touch & DJ Markflip - "Native American Idol"

DOWNLOAD: Glad as Knives - "Tears of Fire"

Hawaiin artist Ginger Dunnill and Mandan Hidatsa Arikara artist Cannupa Hanska Luger together make Glad as Knives. They're a mix of electronic music, Ginger's sweet, smooth vocals and Cannupa's raps, or, as the band describes their sound, "art trash". Indeed their artistry extends beyond the aural. In addition to music and poetry, they incorporate masked performance into their work, inviting the audience to step onto their side of the veil, to their depiction of the absurd and beautiful. They sent us this track to check out and it's been in our ears ever since.

DOWNLOAD: Glad as Knives - "Tears of Fire"

STREAM: A Tribe Called Red - "PowWowzers"

New track by Ottawa Electric Powwow speaker-pounders A Tribe Called Red was released this week on SoundCloud entitled PowWowzers which features drum group Northern Cree and Ojibwe funny man Clarence Two Toes.

After reaching 60,000 hits on their Soundcloud page, A Tribe Called Red celebrated by releasing a new track that features world champion drum group Northern Cree and a sample of the super funny Clarence Two Toes, giving us another dance floor shaker to move to.

The trio have embarked on a Canada-wide tour with comedian Ryan McMahon this week and are set to hit up several cities and communities along the way. Their use of powwow samples and hard hitting dance rhythms have been doing them well, allowing them to perform at various festivals around the world and to gain recognition from top music blogs and producers.

This new style of dance music is geared to be booming through speakers for a long time, making sure that getting the crowd moving remains the foundation of this group’s success and letting us know that Indigenous music is on the rise in more areas than just country and rap. Their live shows are something of legend and are true to the reputation of getting people out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

RPM had the opportunity to present a performance with A Tribe Called Red and Ryan McMahon here in Vancouver, BC. Be on the lookout for a breakdown of the show and also an exclusive interview with the new Chiefs of the Electric Powwow!

STREAM: A Tribe Called Red - "PowWowzers" PowWowzers feat. Northern Cree and Clarence Two Toes by A Tribe Called Red

DOWNLOAD: She King - "Freak Show"

She King's lead singer Shawnee is a power house vocalist with presence and style to match. From Six Nations, the 23 year old singer, with guitarist Azur,writes songs empowered with strength, confidence, soul and passion. The band self-describes as being outside of genre and indeed you will find a mix - from their country leaning ballad This is Me (hear it at myspace.com) to the punk-rock sensilibilies of this quick hitting ditty. DOWNLOAD: She King - "Freak Show"

DJ Budda Blaze Cuts It Up For 20 Years & Beyond

Kahnawake’s DJ Budda Blaze shares some insight with RPM about being a radio and Hiphop DJ for the past two decades with K103.7FM out of Kahnawake in the Mohawk territory as well as letting us know about his musical past, present and future.

We got a chance to sit down with DJ Budda Blaze a.k.a. Akwirenhtha (Falling Tree) to talk about his 20-year journey through music and radio as a DJ for the K103.7 FM radio station based out of Kahnewake in Quebec, Canada. In addition to his radio and DJ endeavours, he has honed himself as a hiphop producer for his group FBI and Canadian rap legend D-Shade. We spoke to DJ Budda Blaze via Skype just before his next gig in Ottawa where he will fill in for A Tribe Called Red at the Electric Powwow event this weekend.

Be sure to check out DJ Budda Blaze's Night School Radio Podcast at his website Buddablaze.com

Do you have an artist you would like to hear or see in our interview series? Drop us a line to: info@rpm.fm 

RPM Podcast #006: "Six Nations"

Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. In our sixth episode we look at the music from the Six Nations.

The Six Nations are a cultural and historical force. Part of that strength in the abundance of musicians who have come from this artistically concentrated area over the years.

RPM talked to blues artist Murray Porter about the Native influence on blues, multi-disciplinary artist and radio host Janet Rogers on her continuation of traditional oratory through spoken word (and feeling "lucky to be be born brown"), and newcomer guitarist/songwriter Joel Johnson who is continuing in the long line of fantastic Six Nations blues artists.

Also, Oneida comedy legend Charlie Hill offers a few wise words.

DOWNLOAD: RPM Podcast #006: "Six Nations"

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The RPM podcast is produced & engineered by the amazing Paolo Pietropaolo.

Photo illustration created by the talented Joi Arcand.

Coming Tomorrow: Interview with ShitOuttaLuck at Skateploitation III

ShitOuttaLuck, aka SxOxLx, hails from Houck, Arizona. This is a family punk and rockabilly band (Navajo) that knows how to live hard and rock even harder. 

RPM caught up with the rowdy punkabilly brothers at Apache Skateboards event Skateploitation III at Indian Market, which featured music, artists and skateboarding from Apache Skateboard crew.

The video interview with the four brothers Tuco (upright bass), Rattlesnake (washboard), The Human Fly (vox and lead guitar) and The Lazer (drums) will be up on RPM tomorrow!

Meanwhile, enjoy their song It Don't Hurt to Sleep:

Shitouttaluck - "It Don't Hurt to Sleep" by RPMfm

STREAM: Nake Nula Waun feat. Gunner K. & Kilo Trackz - "Till The Nightz Gone"

From Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakaota, rap/hip-hop group Nake Nula Waun took their name from the Lakota phrase which means "I am always ready, at all times, for anything". While the phrase originates in describing warriors preparing for battle, the band carries the message as a testament to youth and those who live with oppression and poverty. They use music to break through racial and economic boundaries to pursue their passion, and to promote suicide prevention for youth and people of the Plains Reservations. The message, and music, are strong. This track is from their album The Definition.

STREAM: Nake Nula Waun feat. Gunner K. & Kilo Trackz - "Till the Nightz Gone"