Jul 15, 2014 - The Red Power Mixtape: Che Christ & Indigenous Hip Hop

The Red Power Mixtape is a whirlwind of resistance music. Che Christ is no stranger to backlash, since he is named after white icons and raps in Lakota, Spanish, and English. Before judging Che Christ, consider that sometimes icons must be destroyed for ideologies to survive. “You’re the great white hype, but Eye believe in the Wakan,” Che Christ self-reflectively raps in “New Spirit (Peace & Harmony)”.

Che Christ was born in the desert lands of his Pipá and Quechan (Colorado River Tribes) ancestors. Raised on traditional teachings, bird songs, a high respect for the land, and a steady diet of underground hip-hop, Che Christ maneuvered the inner-city streets of Phoenix, using his words to combat the oppression around him. His ancestors demanded traditional knowledge be kept a secret, so Che Christ is challenged to find a way to share the lessons he grew up with.

Nearly a decade ago Che Christ first made his way to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, finding a solution to this moral dilemma in the universal messaging of Owe Aku (Bring Back the Way). Each song on The Red Power Mixtape sounds like an essay about Indigenous resistance to colonial genocide, peppered with cultural references, and served with a hip hop aesthetic. If that doesn’t make sense to you, just know that Che Christ keeps it real Red Nations.

To read full Red Power Mixtape review go to: http://lrinspire.com/2014/06/24/the-red-power-mixtape-che-christ-indigenous-hip-hop/