I became aware of
Nataanii Means through a Mic article by Tom Barnes:
https://mic.com/articles/116942/8-songs-by-native-american-rappers-that-deserve-to-be-heard#.iSvxnirpr
I already knew and
reviewed two of the artists listed, Frank Waln and Litefoot, but the other six
will all be covered this month, starting with Nataanii Means today. That makes
this article slightly more influential (for my review choices) than Touré's
Smithsonian article on the Blues, and it also means that this November is
pretty heavy on rap (eight out of ten artists).
Means feels like a good
starting point because of points of connection. Just listening to his 2 Worlds album, Frank Waln is featured on "Real
Skins" and Nataanii's father Russell Means (previously appearing in books
and movies that were part of Native American Heritage Month, but not previously
in music) can be heard on "The Radical".
For the rap itself, Means
reminds me most of what I was hearing in the early 90s, where the musical elements
started sounding more serious, but before it was becoming lyrically nihilistic.
That is appropriate for content that is serious and acknowledges hard
situations, but that has not given up. "Genocide" is a good example
of that. "Islands" might come pretty close to giving up,
but it's a fine line.
(If my analysis of rap
and its history seems off, I'm sorry. There are other genres that I know much
better.)
I think Means' music can
be great for driving along, but it would be a shame not to pay more attention.
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