If It's Too Loud...

I'm typically more of a fan of hip hop that sounds more like classic hip hop from the 80's and 90's than more modern takes on the genre, but Snotty Nose Rez Kids are the rare exception to that. The First Nations duo always sounds like they're pushing hip hop forward instead of just staying with what's comfortable. Anishinaabe producer and DJ Boogey the Beat has enlisted Snotty Nose Rez Kids for his new single. "Run for Cover" is decidedly current hip hop, and that is on of the charms of "Run for Cover." Snotty Nose Rez Kids are just such a captivating and unique sounding hip hop group that even if you're typically set in your glory days of hip hop, you owe it to yourself to give them a shot. Boogey the Beat talks about his new single: “I imagined being in an old-time western movie where the Indigenous people were often represented as the ‘bad guys’,  ‘Run For Cover’” portrays a reversal of that trope, with our oppressors and enemies ‘running ...

Artist : Aaron and the Lord Album : Aaron and the Lord Quick Thoughts : I've honestly been hit and miss on Aaron Perrino's work - The Sheila Divine, which is probably as close to legendary indie act in Boston as there can be, never quite did it for me, while I felt the Dear Leader project was truly great and I enjoyed No Hope/No Harm - but this newer side project is super solid. It's certainly alt rock, but it's also got some off-center concepts around it, and some of the songs featuring Tanya Donnelly feel truly inspired. I'd recommend it for any Perrino fans out there, but especially those who like to listen to him when he treads off the beaten path. Songs of Note : "Helpful Visions," "World on Edge" Artist : Jackson+Sellers Album : Breaking Point Quick Thoughts : I love both Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers, but I somehow completely missed the part where they were joining forced on a rockin' roots effort. This is a great listen...

Photo by Sterling Larose Snotty Nose Rez Kids seem to be the most successful of the recent spate of First Nations hip hop artists. While I love a lot of their music, a lot of it also has too much of a modern or mainstream feel to it for my personal taste. Their latest is one of the songs that I truly love. "Wild Boy" has more of a classic hip hop feel that has been brought into the modern day. That's not to say Snotty Nose Rez Kids are doing the throwback thing here. "Wild Boy" is modern but with the spirit of classic hip hop. The production is stripped down and the electronic element is at a minimum. This is the kind of song that the younger hip hop fans and us old Gen-X fans can equally appreciate. In a press release, Yound D of Snotty Nose Rez Kids says of the new song: "Bukwus is a term that comes from the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. It translates into 'Wild Man Of The Woods.' We’ve always had this idea to write a song inspired by supernatural sto...

Photo via Facebook Snotty Nose Rez Kids make a type of hip hop I'm not normally into, but for some reason they just work for me. The Canadian indigenous hip hop duo (hailing from Haisla Nation) have just released a new single. "Screaming Indian" has a distinctly modern hip hop sound (I think the kids may call this trap?), which any long term readers would know that I typically can't get into. But Snotty Nose Rez Kids just have such a unique and creative style that it's impossible not to get into their music. Young Trybez of Snotty Nose Rez kids explains the new single: "The title " Screaming Indian " was an idea based off the retired Atlanta Braves logo that was also referred to as the 'Screaming Savage.' They were forced to retire it because of the obvious outrage from Indigenous activists who viewed the logo as racist and harmful to our people. The Braves 'retired' the logo in 1989 and tried to bring it back in 2013 as a batting p...

Canadian hip hop might not have the best connotations for those of us of a certain age, but Snotty Nose Rez Kids will change that. As part of the Haisla Nation, Snotty Nose Rez Kids challenge racial stereotypes Indigenous people and other people of color face. Musically their latest single "Creator Made an Animal" reminds me of a 21st century Onyx. I'll let them explain the meaning of the song: “'Creator Made An Animal' carries an aggressive and assertive energy that imitates the way society portrays Indigenous people and People of Colour across Turtle Island. Our ancestors were stereotyped as savages, and we are often regarded as the pissed-off generation who haven’t gotten over what colonization has done to our lands and to our people. Through stylish delivery, we proclaim ourselves as the Father 7th Generation and let the world know that we aren’t changing for anyone. The future is ours! As human beings, we are powerful. It’s integral that we resp...