August 11, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the hip hop genre. To commemorate the occasion, our August creator spotlight is one of our own favorite hip hop groups. Meet, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, a first nation hip-hop duo from the Kitamaat Village in British Columbia who we met up with in Austin during the SXSW music festival.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids among 5 other bands were the first to test pilot the Lyric videos function of Pro with their song “I’m good”.
Learn more about the new Lyric Videos feature of Musixmatch Pro.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids is a group of hip hop rappers Yung Trybez and Young D, cousins who grew up 5 doors down from each other in a tiny town called Kitamaat in the Haisla nation in BC, Canada. Born into a rich oral tradition, the two began writing down poetry, short stories, and even their dreams and aspirations from a very young age. Influenced by their older cousins in their community, these poems and stories were steadily subverted into rhymes and raps, as in this part of the world, at this specific time basketball and in effect, hip hop culture was deemed “religion”.
The name “Snotty Nose Res Kids” was coined by the two as a challenge to the stigmas endured by First Nation people historically. Larger than their sound, they are a band with purpose, and that purpose is to “tell (their) own story through (their) own lens and (their) own paintbrush”.
Healthy competition, close proximity, and a powerful message to share bore the natural evolution to the group as we know them today. Since the success of their first album “Average Savage” in 2017, the duo set themselves on a path of steady growth and traction on an international scale.
Although their style appears to be distinctly influenced by early pioneers in the genre, Snotty Nose Rez Kid celebrates the many different elements of rap and Hip hop, and maintain that their own specific brand is likewise ever evolving.
What is arguably the most compelling element of the group's music is that they have a fresh truth to tell. In an upcoming interview with The Mix podcast, Quinton “Yung Trybez” explained that they write their music “first for themselves, next for other indigenous people, and lastly to build a bridge to others”. To their first two objectives, many of the themes of their earlier works are about the reclaiming of identity. Through their raps they are combating for themselves and other indigenous people lifetimes of harmful overt and subliminal messages about first nations people. Rather than leaning into the forced narrative of oppression and subjugation, their lyrics showcase the intelligence, humor, and wisdom of indigenous culture, including their stewardship of nature. Their lyrics are inherently political, but positive.
Setting aside their energetic performances and infectious beats, this last point is arguably one of the largest “bridges” that the group builds to their larger audience. Given their cultural tie to the land in the context of recent global environmental issues, their lyrics have a poignancy that lends to widespread appeal. The energy and earnestness of their message provides catharsis to its listeners. Through these same lyrics Snotty Nose Rez Kids serve as both activists and educators. Speaking on subjects such as climate change with “Hot Planet” or indigenous identity with their upcoming album “Red Future”, the duo are rewriting the wrongdoings of generations past and sharing the wisdom of their heritage for a more positive future.
Check out the recent music video for “Hot Planet” below and stay tuned for Snotty Nose Rez Kids podcast episode on The Mix.
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