Hip-hop has revolutionized from the 80’s “hiphop hippity hop” days to the 90’s West coast and East coast clash. It has then had a wide range of artists from different backgrounds and ethnicities. Still, the world is not exposed yet to the “fire” Native American hip-hop artists bring. University of California Riverside’s NASP (Native American Student Programs) produced the “Indigenous Hip Hop Symposium and Concert “. The show featured Serrano native Fawksie 1, Cahuilla native Tha Native and brothers Quese imc and Dj Shock B who form the group Culture Shock B of the Pawnee and Seminole nations. Although Native American rappers have not become main stream, their superb rapping skills prove they’re toe in toe with some of the hottest emcees today. Quese IMC combines his captivating freestyle with traditional sound to deliver powerful lyrics that take the listener through a memoir of Native American history. Fawksie 1 is a fierce lyricist and as a woman in hiphop she doesn’t marginalize her music. Tha Native incorporates Indian sounds with his music and creates a distinct sound amongst the hip-hop community. Like Tupac, Biggie Smalls and NWA were able to express their pain through music, the Native American Artists conveyed the struggle of Native American history through the power of music. The genre of Native Hip-hop is a relatively new but we can expect in the near future that this genre will make its mark in Hip-hop history.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.