You can catch parts one and two of “Reservation Rap” on Apple Music.

By Sameer Rao
Culture Reporter/Blogger

Colorlines, March 29, 2016 —

Colorlines Screenshot of (L to R) Native Rappers Thomas X and Baby Shel in VICE’s and Apple Music’s “Reservation Rap,” taken from VICE’s trailer on March 29, 2016. Colorlines Screenshot

 

Check out the trailer at www.vice.com/video/reservation-rap (Warning: strong language).

“Everybody’s living the same struggles. Especially being Native American, it’s the struggle of being heard. That’s hip-hop, man. Hip-hop is struggle.”

That’s Baby Shel, one of several Native rappers featured in VICE and Apple Music’s new short two-part documentary “Reservation Rap.” The doc, which focuses on rappers from the Ojibwe tribe in Minnesota, is the first episode in VICE and Apple Music’s new collaborative music-focused series, “The Score.”

“Reservation Rap” features candid interviews with Baby Shel and peers Thomas X, Tall Paul and Left Field.

The MCs talk about making music relevant to their communities; why rap is important to Native youth growing up in the legacy of American imperialism, which includes crushing poverty, police harassment, and substance and mental health issues; and the rappers’ goal of uplifting their people through music.

For those with Apple Music subscriptions, you can watch “Reservation Rap” on iTunes.

(H/T, VICE, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Sway’s Universe )

 

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