Native hip hop poised for breakthrough
Last Updated Fri, 05 Mar 2004
CBC News Online with files from Barbara Brunzell, CBC Winnipeg

WINNIPEG - Hip hop, the urban-music genre originated by young blacks in the United States and adopted by whites everywhere, has a new face in this country: a native Canadian one.

That's because hip hop has spread past the urban ghettos and on to Canada's reserves, thanks to groups like Alberta's War Party, Winnipeg's Slangblossom and Ontario's Tru Rez Crue.

Since I'm not a huge hip-hop fan, I mention this only because I actually saw War Party one night in a pub, and they did a really good job. They're actually beginning to get some recognition outside of Alberta, which is nice too. However, I've always kind of wondered why there wasn't a bigger native presence in punk rock than there is. I've known a couple of aboriginal punkers, but I'd be hard-pressed to name even one native punk band (actually, I know of one, but I can't remember their name off the top of my head, which is bugging me). Anyhoo...