Julian B (born c. 1972) is a Native American rapper. Julian B is originally from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and is of Muskogee heritage. His music is frequently political, with lyrics reminiscent of those of the rap group

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

, and often focusing on the effects of

colonialism Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...

on the

indigenous peoples of the Americas In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

. He has performed at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, as well as at many Native American festivals such as the Red Nations Celebration in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, the

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...

Anniversary Celebration in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, and various

pow-wow A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their ...

s across North America. He also performs in support of causes such as Black Mesa and the

Zapatistas Zapatista(s) may refer to: * Liberation Army of the South, a guerrilla force led by Emiliano Zapata in the Mexican Revolution 1911–1920 ** Zapatismo, the armed movement identified with the ideas of Emiliano Zapata * Zapatista Army of National L ...

, as well as at events focusing on the

Native American mascot controversy Since the 1960s, the issue of Native American and First Nations names and images being used by sports teams as mascots has been the subject of increasing public controversy in the United States and Canada. This has been a period of rising I ...

. He has released two CDs, ''Once Upon a Genocide'' (1994) and ''Injunuity''. (2002). He recorded with the

Gap Band The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, a ...

in 1990. In 1998, the

Native American Music Awards The Native American Music Awards (also known as the NAMAs or "Nammys") are an awards program presented annually by Elbel Productions, Inc., The Native American Music Awards Inc., and The Native American Music Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profi ...

nominated him in the Best Hip-Hop Album category, and his ''Injunuity'' was nominated for Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording in 2002. Very unusually for Native American rappers (most of whom prefer to rap in English), Julian B has experimented with rap in the Muskogee language.

Discography

* 1994 -
Once Upon a Genocide
' (Warrior) * 2002 - ''Injunuity'' (Hot Commodity)

Bibliography

*O'Brien, Jill. "Julian B. raps about staying on the Red Road." ''Indian Country Today'' (''Lakota Times''), January 1995. *Interview in ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...

'', October 11, 1996, p. 23, sec. SU.

References

External links

Julian B official site
by Dana Williams
Julian B Myspace site

Listening

Julian B audio samples

Video

Julian B video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Julian B American rappers Native American rappers 1972 births Muscogee people Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Musicians from Oklahoma Rappers from Oklahoma 21st-century American rappers 20th-century Native American people 21st-century Native American people