Frank Waln
| Frank Waln | |
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| Born | Rosebud Sioux Reservation, South Dakota, United States |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
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Musical career | |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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Frank Waln is an indigenous American (Sicangu Lakota) rapper, songwriter and activist from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Waln is most known for his songs "AbOriginal," "Oil 4 Blood" and "Born on the Rez," all of which are anthems of hope and indeed opposition against the many injustices the Native American peoples face in modern times, including racism, appropriation and environmental exploitation. He works alongside his group Nake Nula Waun, a name which means “I am always ready, at all times, for anything.”
Waln has often mentioned Eminem as a major influence on his music, having literally stumbled upon Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP on one of his many walks with his mother Mary when he was in sixth grade. Quite uniquely, Frank Waln incorporates traditional aspects to his music and in his music videos depicts life as it is today on the Rosebud Reservation.
His first album, Scars and Bars, which was created and produced in 2010 using only a laptop and keyboard, went on to win a NAMA award the following year.[1] That same year, with his group Nake Nula Waun, Waln was the winner of the ROCKWiRED Radio Music Award for Best Group, and he won the ROCKWiRED Radio Music Awards for Best Male Artist and Best Recording by an American Indian Artist/Band in 2013.
References
- ↑ "Frank Waln, Hip Hop Artist and Gates Scholar, Goes for Five NAMA Awards - ICTMN.com". Indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com. 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2015-06-19.