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Minneapolis Is A Test: Rapper Tufawon Says ICE Is Losing Control & The People Are Fighting Back
Jan 28, 2026
Minneapolis rapper and activist Tufawon joins AllHipHop from the front lines to break down what’s really happening on the ground. From real-time ICE watch networks and whistle alerts to mutual aid hubs, infiltration tactics, and why even conservative voters are starting to shift, Tufawon explains why this moment feels bigger than 2020.
He speaks on Second Amendment hypocrisy, coalition-building between Black, Native, Somali, and immigrant communities, and why Minneapolis may be the blueprint for resistance nationwide. Plus, he discusses his new EP Gradient, a museum-commissioned Hip-Hop project rooted in Indigenous identity and anti-colonial resistance.
This is not social media noise. This is firsthand testimony from inside the movement.
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0:05
What's up world? It's your man Chuck Creekmer aka Jigsaw All Hip Hop is here with a rapper straight on the front
0:12
lines of Minneapolis. Two for one. How are you, brother? How are you?
0:17
Yes. Yes. I'm uh you know, all all things considered, um I'm I'm doing well
0:23
and um feeling the inspiration from the people that are on the ground. um
0:29
getting organized and uh feeling good about that. Also, just going through waves of of emotions and changes um just
0:37
because everything right now is uh is chaotic, but at the same time, the the movement of the people is is really
0:44
giving me a lot of hope in these moments. So, yeah, that's how I'm doing right now. That's good to hear. I know that it's um
0:51
un unimagin, you know, we were talking offline and I'm just processing this,
0:56
you know, particularly as a black man knowing the history of the country, um
1:01
and feeling, you know, for the longest time that we were making advances forward for true justice, equality for
1:08
all, you know, really living up to the creed of the nation. And now it feels
1:13
like we've just taken 62 maybe more um years backwards. Um what
1:21
are your general thoughts uh of this period, this moment as it relates to
1:27
history? Um there is a lot of uh history repeating itself right now and this
1:34
whole administration is is definitely um taking steps backwards. Um and we're not
1:42
seeing the progress that we want to see and it's very evident and it's blatant and it's out in the open. Um and what I
1:50
do feel is um even though it's really bad right now, there is
1:58
so much movement happening with the people and the people are getting so organized on a level that I've never
2:04
seen that um I feel like my hope is greater than the atrocities that we're seeing.
2:12
um it's greater than the fascism um that we're seeing that's plaguing our communities right now. I believe that
2:19
they're afraid of it. Um and I do believe with the amount of momentum that
2:26
we have right now, we can defeat fascism and this administration and what they're trying
2:32
to do. So, it's incredibly uh important at this moment um here in Minneapolis
2:38
and outside of of Minnesota, too, that we activate and we don't let up right
2:44
now because that's what they want us to do. You know, they want us to go inside of our houses. They want to be out here
2:50
like, you know, Nazi Germany and they want to be controlling people in this way.
2:57
Minneapolis is firing back um the same in in a similar way um as 2020 um you
3:04
know during the uprising you know after George Floyd was was murdered um by by
3:09
that MPD officer and um you know we learned a lot of our skills from that and so um seeing the amount of people
3:18
just really connecting and and building coalition and building strength I
3:23
genuinely believe that our movement is way stronger there's way more of us than them and you know I'm I'm just ready to keep
3:31
on fighting and keep activating. What keeps you going when you're seeing people essentially being executed this
3:38
way? I mean that's jarring to say the least, but also um we've never quite
3:44
seen that here in America where you're seeing white folks killing other white
3:50
folks. I mean I mean I know that you know in the 60s there were a lot of student
3:57
uh violence perpetrated against students and people protesting in that in those times but I don't know it it certainly
4:02
didn't feel like this. Um do do you so I guess my question is um h has any fear
4:11
or have have you felt any sense that this could continue in this manner?
4:18
Um, I I do, but I think the Trump administration is backtracking a bit
4:23
because a lot of people, [clears throat] specifically white people who maybe were on the fence or maybe they're uh um
4:30
Republicans, but you know, maybe fringe voters or whatever, you know, whatever it is, I'm seeing a lot of this um
4:38
demographic looking at what happened and saying, "I can't support this.
4:43
I'm pulling out. I'm not I'm not gonna vote Republican in the midterms and and
4:49
whatever else, right? And I think it was a really um
4:54
the the problem with ICE is that so many of these agents are untrained
5:00
or very minimal training and they think and believe that they can
5:06
break any law they that they're above the law essentially, right? And um the
5:11
fact that they executed a white woman and then a white man really makes their whole agenda um it
5:20
makes it look really really bad right now. And I I have hope that um you know
5:26
I go beyond I go way beyond the civic level beyond voting. I always vote. I
5:32
encourage people to vote you know what I mean but the power is truly held in the people right? So, I think because of the
5:38
amount of people that are like getting together and organizing um and I think this I think the midterms are going to
5:44
look good um in fighting and pushing back against uh Trump um because of the
5:49
amount of uh um especially second amendment
5:55
folks that are really, you know, pushing for, hey, we got the right to bear arms, right? Not only was it an attack on on
6:05
them as white men, right? They look at this, you look at this this this man, this now martyr,
6:12
right? Alex Prey, and he is the perfect archetype for he could literally walk
6:19
into a conservative uh um you know uh hillbilly bar somewhere, right? And he
6:25
would fit right in. He's a white dude. He's got a beard, carries a concealing, you know, concealing carry, he got his
6:31
pistol, whatever it is, he would fit right in. So, a lot of who he is, they
6:37
identify with. And on top of that, it's an attack on their Second Amendment. And
6:43
so I'm I'm seeing a a lot of shift with people who uh particularly white people
6:49
and white men who are uh second amendment people and uh Republicans who
6:55
are like I'm still a Republican but I am anti-Trump now seeing what's going on. So I'm seeing a shift and that gives me
7:02
hope too. um seeing that shift, but also seeing so many people that I never
7:09
thought would be out there because this impacts everybody, especially brown and
7:15
black people in our immigrant communities, right? It affects everybody. And I've never in my life
7:21
seen so many people locked in,
7:26
communicating with each other, providing mutual aid and trainings and resources. is and I'm literally every
7:34
day there's something happening and we're building so many skills.
7:39
Minneapolis is like the blueprint for what's to come because their whole initiative is to spread this
7:45
across the country. And I'm an artist, you know, I'm a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. And I'm like,
7:51
okay, along with the activism that I've done over the years, right?
7:57
I think it's important to also use my platform and my voice to speak up on that. And I'm seeing more of that too
8:03
from artists being like, "Okay, how can I engage in this and be an activist too,
8:09
right?" And that's beautiful to see, you know what I mean? And so those are different um just
8:15
different things that really give me hope. To go back to your question about it all. I'm seeing a major shift and
8:21
it's it it gives me a lot of hope. The hypocrisy is kind of crazy to me too because when Kyle Writtenhouse, that's
8:29
his name, right? when he when he took his big old gun and went to that protest
8:36
fully strapped uh he was a hero and I'm and we're like wait a sec why why why
8:43
this now obviously you know there's there's tremendous blowback but there were still a lot of people in fact I was
8:49
in a diner uh getting a bite to eat and then the guy in the uh joining uh booth
8:56
was was was like they shouldn't be out there and they shouldn't be protesting and they shouldn't he shouldn't have had
9:02
a gun and he shouldn't have I'm like dude are you really telling your and his son I will give his son credit the son
9:09
was um dad come on you know dad his son was pushing back every step of the way
9:15
but obviously that's a child he doesn't have the full breath of understanding or
9:21
wisdom or or intellectualism to to and authority by the way to you know fully
9:30
address his dad and I stayed out of it. You know, I'm not not really here for that right now. But,
9:36
um, across the board, there's a lot of hypocrisy. And I'll say, you know, the brutality perpetrated against people of
9:43
color, um, black people, native, indigenous people
9:49
has been beyond heinous. So, some of us, some of us are like,
9:56
you know, just kind of like really like but but the but the ground swell is is
10:02
amazing. At the same time, you know, we've seen a lot of black and brown death uh systemically as well as
10:12
um you know, just on the on the ground on the street level. And uh we haven't seen the same response. And like you
10:19
just said it, they see themselves in in these people and uh therefore can see it
10:24
a little differently, a little Yeah. more clarity. Yeah, I agree. I mean, there's a shift.
10:30
Um the whole written house thing, it just kind of exposes the major hypocrisy that we have been like speaking to for a
10:37
very long time and it backs them into a corner and it says, "Hey,
10:42
you can't argue around this right now because those same second amendment like rightwing, you know, Trumpup supporting
10:50
people who were like written house was a hero with a giant, you know, uh
10:56
automatic rifle strapped to his chest. right, can can be considered a hero at a
11:03
protest while he's over here, you know, shooting people, right? Yeah.
11:09
You you you flip it and you fast forward to Alex Prey who is concealed and carry
11:18
with a a handgun strapped to the back of him concealed.
11:24
Right. He's wrong for going to from these same exact people, right?
11:30
These same bigots [clears throat] wrong for going to a protest with a gun.
11:36
If he's wrong for going to a protest with a gun, why is Rittenhouse a hero,
11:42
right, for going to a protest with a gun? So, the the the hypocrisy is being exposed
11:48
and they're all looking really bad right now. And it's get it's it's getting to the point where, you know, we're seeing
11:53
more of a shift with some of these Second Amendment conservative folks.
11:59
And he was disarmed. He was lit. I mean, we saw it right there. What are we saying? I mean, he was jumped essentially what
12:07
we call jumped and disar, you know, he wasn't even using it. [laughter] You know what I'm saying?
12:12
Completely apprehended completely. His other hand was literally and and and
12:17
this this is you know this gets us emotional here because he was protecting a woman.
12:23
He was protecting all of us. Yeah. From this violent extremist fascist
12:32
terrorism that we are seeing in our communities. And he went down as as a as
12:37
a martyr. Yeah. And he was protecting a woman. You know what I'm saying? This is not the same as
12:43
some, you know, some kid with a rifle coming and and trying to execute people,
12:49
you know, and so Yeah. Yeah. I mean, being down here is is is
12:54
uh it's intense, but you know, being at the memorial was really uh beautiful and seeing how many people are coming out
13:01
and and really showing support and solidarity. Um, what I like to point out
13:06
also is seeing how much, you know, Minneapolis is segregated like a lot of other cities, right? And there's a lot
13:12
of pockets, you know, like the Cedar Riverside area, for example. The Somali community is very redlined, blocked off
13:18
from the rest of the community. The native community, I'm native, by the way. I'm Dakota and Puerto Rican. And
13:24
the native community is also redlined by the highway, is kind of blocked off. the north side of Minneapolis, the largest
13:30
historically black community in Minneapolis, also red line, very sectioned off. I'm seeing a lot of like
13:38
coalition building. I'm seeing a lot of connections being made um that kind of
13:44
break these barriers down between communities. And we're meeting we're
13:50
meeting together and we're holding space and having meals and crying together and
13:56
strategizing and actually uh uh taking action and doing actionable steps that
14:03
can lead to you know our liberation and defeating this this uh fascist you know
14:09
violence right and seeing that is really beautiful. So there's another shift. There's so many shifts happening. But
14:15
what I love is seeing the fact that when I go to the Powow Grounds coffee shop in
14:20
the native community, for example, which has been like a community hub for mutual aid, right?
14:27
I go in and and the the Somali relative, she's there volunteering and helping and
14:33
it's like I'm I'm seeing much stronger connections being made and that's exactly what they are afraid of.
14:40
Yeah. because we're taking that power back, right? And so, you know, again,
14:45
going there's there's moments when we're crying our eyeballs out because it's like, this is real. This is heavy.
14:52
It's dangerous. They're they're detaining indigenous people on our own land and sending us to
14:59
a detention center called Whipple that sits on Fort Snelling, which was a concentration camp for my ancestors,
15:08
right? the irony, you know what I mean? Like they're targeting people on our own
15:13
land. So people are saying, "Oh, this isn't about this is just about immigr. It's
15:19
not not about immigration. They're going to the north side, you know, and they're they're terrorizing the black community,
15:25
you know what I mean?" And our black relatives are are are feeling the same thing. So, you know, so they know, you
15:30
know, and it's it's all a continuation. We saw it happen in in 2020 in a
15:36
different way, you know, and the police are like, "Oh, you know, we got to support our MPD and
15:41
our police." And I'm like, "Look, man. The MPD in 2020 was ICE now."
15:46
Yeah. You know what I mean? And they were, you know what I'm saying? And you know, and so, but just to continue
15:52
fighting, mutual aid is huge right now. Um, that's a big thing. And it's we're seeing
15:57
Explain Mutual aid. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. um mutual aid being that like there's people who are
16:03
in need. There's people who can't like leave their houses or can't go to work and things like that. And it's literally
16:10
people providing resources like money and food and whatever to communities who
16:16
are really in need. And there's a whole active initiative to get those resources
16:21
into the hands of the people that are impacted by this the most. And right now you're seeing like the Powell Grounds
16:29
for example, coffee shop um has been like a hub and they're at the point where they're so well resourced they're
16:36
now directing more of this food to other orgs to to spread around so that you
16:42
know our relatives who are really impacted by this are are being helped you know and so or even like for for me
16:48
for example I'm I'm a rapper but I'm also a teaching artist and I have a curriculum where I I teach native youth.
16:56
We make songs from start to finish, right? It's a beautiful program, but I'm getting gigs pushed back, right? And so
17:03
it's like this is impacting our income. Um, Mexican restaurants no longer open.
17:09
Indian restaurants no longer open. They're taking a major hit. So it's like, okay, how do we direct funds to
17:16
get to those people who who are in need right now, right? And so the mutual aid
17:22
movement is uh uh really really big here in in the Twin Cities. It's beautiful to
17:27
see people who are out here patrolling and the rapid response teams like I was
17:35
out here patrolling a few days and essentially what it is is people are posted up on all the blocks throughout
17:42
the south side, north side, St. Paul, right into the suburbs because this goes
17:47
deep into the suburbs too. And when we see ICE activity, there's chat groups on
17:53
Signal where it's like [clears throat] a live um in real time almost like a dispatch of ICE
18:02
activity. And when a ICE agent shows up and they try to do a raid or snatch somebody, the community is blowing their
18:08
whistles and they all come together. And it's been really successful in pushing out a lot of ICE agents in our
18:14
community. We did one yesterday, you know what I mean? And that saves people.
18:20
It saves people's lives. And I've done some of it, but I'm also doing a lot of mutual aid. I'm using my artistry to do,
18:27
you know, music that promotes the message and things like that. But the heroes out here, when we think about um
18:35
you know, we're all everybody in Minneapolis is a hero at this point, but
18:40
the ones that are out here that are risking their lives like Renee Good,
18:46
like uh Alex Freddy who became martyrs, you
18:51
know, those people are out there every single day risking their lives and they could get shot up.
18:58
Yeah. Point, you know, and we're seeing it. So, I just want to take that time to honor them and and to to send them, you
19:06
know, my love and my prayers because, you know, they and and that's what we've been talking about, right, for a long
19:12
time. When are white people going to step up? Because we indigenous people, black people, we have been we have been
19:18
getting killed over and over and over again, right? When are white people going to step up
19:23
and take this risk? Now, we're starting to see that. And it goes back to that shift that that we're talking about.
19:29
You know, it's good to see white people really step into their allyship. Hey, I want them to keep going after it
19:37
gets back to normal. Don't stop. White people do not stop
19:42
once you get back to your regular life. There's no stopping, right? Like can't
19:48
stop. Okay? I'm holding white people accountable because listen,
19:54
look, I'm I'm suspicious and I'm I'm judging harshly. I'm keeping my eyes
20:01
peeled. Yeah. Right. Because see, this is this is what I don't want to happen. Right. You know,
20:07
this is the right now. This right now, it could get worse, but right, let's say right here in the moment for our
20:13
lifetimes, this is the worst it's ever been. In fact, even the elders are like,
20:19
"This is worse than the 60s." Yeah, it's bad. The elders are saying this, right?
20:24
They would prefer the 60s than this. So, as you already know, I'm sure there were
20:30
some some white folks, especially in government who helped legislate progress
20:36
and, you know, they got rid of some of those people, killed them. But for but
20:41
there was progress. um hoping for the same now is basically what I'm saying. I don't want to take
20:49
the foot off the gas once there's you know Trump out of office or
20:56
whatever. We can't let up because really when it comes down to it and you and you know as well as I know that even when
21:03
it's blue, you know, there's still the oppression, there's still the police brutality, there's they were still
21:09
executing people under the Biden administration or Obama administration or whatever administration. And you
21:17
know, we are are holding this this awakening that like, oh like
21:25
the people are we are the ones that really hold the power cuz we are the vast majority. We're more powerful than
21:33
any political party, you know, that's in power right now. And we're way more
21:39
powerful than the Trump administration and what they're doing. And it's when it
21:44
comes down to it, and I want to speak a little bit more to that shift we're
21:49
seeing with a lot of conservative white people, right? A lot of white people are uh just
21:54
workingass, lowerass, and even poor white people, right? But for some, you know, for for obvious reasons really,
22:01
they align with Trump and his agenda. Mhm. But the awakening happening with a lot
22:06
of white people that I've been seeing has been like, "Oh, wow." Um, we're
22:11
starting to realize that racism is used in as a tool in this whole class
22:17
warfare. And it's the the top elite that don't give a about anybody, including those poor white people. and
22:25
and when they come to the realization that Trump doesn't give a about you either, pardon my language. Um Trump
22:33
doesn't care about you either, you know, it's going to make that movement even stronger because
22:38
it's it's it's so much about class warfare. You know, the top billionaires
22:45
in power who are literally pitting us against each other, segregating us
22:51
so that we can fight amongst each other. These ICE agents are just regular middle
22:57
class folks try they're trying to get the bag too. It's a $60,000 sign on
23:03
bonus that they pay them incrementally over a number of months, right? They're
23:09
trying to get the bag and this is all about class and trying to
23:14
and many of them are realizing, oh, I didn't I didn't realize what I signed up for. I didn't realize that I was
23:21
going to be snatching a woman and deporting her and now her kids will never see her ever again.
23:26
Right. Right. So even though there is a very large a massive initiative for ICE
23:35
recruitment, the turnover is also very high. Okay.
23:40
And there are people who are who are signing up and they're like, man, this is I can't do this. This ain't it. So
23:47
hopefully we get more and more people um who are ICE agents to turn and to
23:52
realize there's a whole system that doesn't care about them either. That whole system it's pitting
23:58
middle class, lower class uh people in poverty against each other so they can
24:03
remain their control. And it's about time that that whole system crumbles. [snorts]
24:09
Yeah. Defund ICE, man. I don't want to hear any Democrats talking about, oh my god, they need better training or,
24:16
you know, work with them or whatever. Man, get them up out of here. That's crazy. Get them out. They're they're What are
24:22
they talking about? Like $170 million added to their budget that's going to be like voted on,
24:28
right? That's that's huge because they they ran up their budget already. Yeah.
24:34
You know, and and they want another hundred if they want another $170 million. And if that gets approved,
24:41
we're going to see a whole another like wave of this. But if they don't approve that and they don't got the money to be
24:48
out here like that, hey, you know, we can do something, you know. Um,
24:54
also I want to I just want to speak to how like right now Minneapolis is this the the the training this is the
25:02
for them this is the testing ground for all of this, right? And we have been trained since 2020 and even before that
25:09
since the American Indian movement even before that since my Dakota ancestors
25:15
went to war with the United States right we've we've been trained in this so Minneapolis is is almost creating like a
25:23
blueprint for the cities that they're coming to because they're coming right like they want this fascism to spread
25:30
all over the place. And so what I want and what I hope and I know will happen
25:35
is that we in solidarity with everyone else around the nation that is to be
25:41
impacted by this fascism. I want to flood all of our resources out to
25:47
everyone else. Whether it's trainings on mutual aid, trainings on how to keep
25:53
your streets safe and like, you know, rapid response groups, trainings on knowing your rights. You know, I want to
26:02
arm the people with that so that everybody outside of Minnesota is going to be ready and they ain't going to be
26:08
able to make the impact that they really want because they're surprised that Minneapolis responded the way we're were
26:14
responding. They they weren't expecting this. They thought we were going to riot and they were going to deploy the
26:20
federal military in here and it was just whole Nazi, you know, regime and and
26:26
that's what they thought. But we flipped it, right? Because rioting worked,
26:32
uprising worked with with um you know, 2020, right?
26:37
During George Floyd, this time we're like, okay, they they they're trying to make us riot. So, we
26:44
have to change the way we strategize and how, you know, we move. And they're
26:50
pissed about it. They're really mad. They've been They can't deploy the military the way they wanted.
26:56
Exactly. You know what I mean? And so, you know, I'm I'm just sending love like right here. The love is big right now.
27:02
And it it's bigger than what their fascism has. Um, and I I want to extend
27:09
this love and solidarity out to everybody else out there, especially the ones that I hear they're going to Maine
27:16
next, you know, right? And and and I just want to send this, you know, because because
27:22
they're targeting immigrant populations. They're especially targeting target targeting the Somali community,
27:29
you know, and you know, Minneapolis has the largest Somali community in the
27:34
United States and it's a big reason why they're here. Um, and you know, the
27:40
majority of Somali people came here as refugees and they have uh citizenship, you know what I mean? This is not about
27:46
immigration. This is about just blatant, you know, uh, racism and fascism to
27:52
protect the wealthy elite. And we got the tools to fight that. And I I I
27:58
genuinely believe we're going to defeat this And it's also about keeping America white, you know? I mean, it's a it's
28:04
it's it's tracking or is tracking to be black and brown or the browning of the
28:11
nation is eminent. So they're encouraging white people to have babies
28:17
and discouraging people to come here. Yeah, totally. I mean, it's ethnic
28:22
cleansing that's happening, right? And you you saw this hap, you know, you see this happen in a place like Palestine,
28:28
for example, you know, since 1948. And they have been displacing and pushing
28:34
out, you know, Palestinians on their own land, right? um so they can keep you
28:41
know keep their uh um you know identity and their national identity and this is
28:47
Israeli identity right and it's like here you're seeing a similar a similar
28:52
dynamic almost the same dynamic you know push out the people of color racially cleanse it uh uh whiten it again and
28:59
that's in code um make America great again in code
29:06
is that you know what I'm saying Okay, before we get into your latest
29:12
project, um I wanted to bring alert you to something that you probably already know about, but I saw this on Instagram.
29:19
I don't doom scroll much, but I did see a a a gentleman talking about
29:26
infiltration and that ICE is now putting on flannels and whistles and
29:33
things of that sort and and not the military getups they're wearing to try
29:39
to infiltrate and and and and you know uh basically co-intelp pro u situation.
29:48
Um, do you guys know about this and are you addressing it internally?
29:54
Yeah, I mean a lot of us are already trained um in this scenario. Go for me
30:00
going back to fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline with my brothers Natani means
30:05
and Anton. That's my man. Oh, those are my bros friends of mine.
30:10
Right. And you know, we learned we learned these um skills while we were there and a lot of
30:17
people learned these skills in 2020 here. And so we've been hearing about it how they're posted they're they're
30:24
posted up and and um utility vehicles pretending to be
30:30
plumbers and and things like that. Um we are really uh strategy but we're we're
30:38
teaching everyone and we're also train many of us are trained ourselves to have
30:44
a vetting system where because they're they're they're even going into the signal chats and and
30:50
and things like that. We know that there's infiltrators there. That's why it's super important to exercise
30:57
security culture. knowing the people that you're working with, asking, hey, where are you from? Like where, you
31:04
know, asking the right questions to identify, hey, could this be a possible,
31:10
you know, infiltrator? And so, um, you know, we we have our security culture. And I think uh right now it's a matter
31:16
of you know identifying people who aren't trained in it as much to put them
31:23
on game and be like look this is this is how you you keep you weed out the
31:29
possibility of some infiltrator coming in and doing damage to our communities you know furthermore you know what I'm
31:36
saying so there is an initiative there are people out here and there are a lot of people who are also very trained in
31:41
it good good well we could talk. We will
31:46
talk. I'm going to get at you on Instagram and we'll Yeah. change info, but uh let's talk about the
31:53
new project gradient and what you're bringing to the table. Glad to hear I as
31:58
much as streaming annoys me, I definitely uh appreciate that I can tap in really easily
32:05
with it. Tell people about it a little bit and what you're bringing to the table this time. Yeah, for sure. So, Gradient is a seven
32:11
song EP that I made. Um, I was commissioned by the American Composers Forum to do an EP that's a part of their
32:20
Recomposing America project. And it's also a part of the Duth Art Institutees
32:26
um, art exhibition called Fur Trade Nation um, and Ojiway Adornment. And
32:33
it's uh, pretty much a an art exhibition in Duth, which is in northern Minnesota.
32:38
And it is uh um it's a allnative art exhibition that goes until April 3rd.
32:45
And I'm an official artist, but I'm the sonic sound of it. They wanted to do
32:51
visual art, but they wanted to also bring in music for it. So, um people who
32:57
visit the museum are able to experience the whole museum while listening to my
33:02
project, which is cool. I've never been like an official artist, a part of like a museum exhibition, which is really
33:10
dope. Um, the theme around it is um, you know, it it ties into a lot of what's
33:16
going on right now, right? It's about fighting colonialism, fighting imperialism. It also goes beyond the
33:23
colonial narrative and talks about like who we were before the colonizers came,
33:28
right? It also talks about today and who we are as natives today and what the future is for native people. Talks about
33:36
these trade systems. We had sophisticated trade networks prior to
33:41
colonization where we traded with each other and we're intermaring and we were mixing our cultures and all of that
33:49
creating this really beautiful gradient. And that's what the gradient is really all about. Indigenous people come in so
33:56
many different colors from dark to light, you know, and and it's our cultures are beautiful like that sunset
34:03
and that gradient sky that you see, right? To get more, you know, poetic with it, I guess.
34:08
Um, I produced everything. I I wpped and I sang. Um, I even played instruments. I
34:14
played like the native flute on there. I'm playing the electric guitar, you know, and it's very much uh it leans
34:20
more on the hip-hop side, but also R&B just because I'm also an R&B singer and um I love this project so much and uh
34:27
I'm just excited for everything. That's awesome, man. Listen, keep doing
34:32
your thing. We have a lot of common threads. Um I've had numerous native
34:39
artists on my platform. Um, Natani is one. Keith MC is another.
34:45
Shout out Keith. Y Queen and Do you know Queen and Aza? I do. I do. I love Queen. Yes.
34:53
I had an ex who went out to uh Standing Rock. Okay. I swear to God, I was That was a scary
35:00
time, man. Um It was wild. Yeah. That I didn't go. I I just couldn't bring myself to go. I have a
35:07
daughter and I just She was young at that time. Mhm. And um I just couldn't do it. But
35:14
I I love that though because a lot of people think, you know, oh, you're not doing enough if you're not on that front
35:20
line. But it's like, yo, taking care of your family is revolutionary. You know what I'm saying? Uh uh some people are like, I don't know
35:26
what I'm doing, but I'm going to babysit for my friend who's out there on the front line. Babysitting is revolutionary, you know? And I think
35:32
it's important to understand like what our roles are, you know. True. Very true. And it could be
35:39
something simple, you know, it could be literally just raising money for gas cards for people to get around during
35:45
these times. Like everybody has a role and it's like it's about tapping into what you're good at because some people
35:51
even come out to the front line and they're actually not good at the [laughter]
35:56
protest and they get themselves hurt or right? You know what I'm saying? So
36:02
everybody has a role and and again taking care of family that's where the revolution starts there. You know what I
36:07
mean? So well it's good to hear a politically trained rapper cuz some rappers I'm like
36:13
yo dude just just you know you can still support. You don't actually have to
36:19
speak out though. You could just give money or you can you know platform someone on a song or something like
36:25
that. Let them go off. You don't have to really get in that. You know, that's Yeah, that's the funny part cuz see,
36:32
I've seen on a number of occasions where I won't name names, but
36:38
a rapper gets caught up, you know. I mean, obviously we all feel emotions. we all,
36:43
you know, this is a lot. And then they try to but they try to step out into it and then and then once you're out into
36:49
it, it's a different um landscape, especially when people start challenging
36:55
you or asking you questions or, you know, dealing with the pressures of it. You know, I mean, I will say one
37:02
name and I and I and I'll say this, Kanye West infamously spoke out against George Bush. you know, I think his
37:09
conscience just, you know, he it was unscripted and ever since then, he's just been
37:15
just off, you know, been so off. So off and I'm just kind of like, was it that moment and the the pressures he
37:22
eventually apologized, which I was mad at him for that, but Yeah. So many of us were mad at him,
37:29
right? Yeah. Yeah. But anyway, and not to turn this into a Kanye combo, but just
37:34
addressing the um system is is a tough, you know, it's tough. It's tough.
37:41
It's tough. I mean, I, you know, again, it goes back to like, you know, knowing what your strengths are and what role
37:47
you can fit in. And if you're a rapper who might not um, you know, be as well
37:53
versed and and and know as much, it's okay to be like, "Hey, I'm still learning. maybe I'm not fit for for some
37:59
of the interviews or for whatever else and maybe I can just you know do the you know do the mutual aid stuff and help
38:05
fund raise or you know maybe it's time for me to just like really learn and then at some point I'll be uh uh armed
38:13
for these conversations right you know and and some people are some people aren't you know I I I do appreciate the
38:19
ones who who really are and took that time to get educated like uh like Vic Mensah was just out here um yesterday.
38:27
Shout out him. And he he pulled up to the protest, too. And it was like, "Okay, you're you're out here on the ground with us." Like, that's that's
38:33
love. And also showing the the solidarity and support for the movement
38:39
and trying to bring it outside of Minnesota because on Friday, there's a a
38:45
nationwide general strike. We had a statewide general strike that went well
38:50
and now Friday, you know, we're uh uh we're pushing for a general strike
38:56
across the state. So, we're trying to get everybody else activated, too. Awesome. Awesome.
39:02
All right. Gradient out right now. Two for one. I appreciate you. Continued blessings. Um and and may you
39:11
know honestly I don't know if you're religious but pray for prayerfully God watches over you.
39:17
Thank you in everything that you and everyone else is doing right now in we can take all the prayers that we can
39:23
get. Doesn't matter from which religion or spirituality. Um I'm honored and grateful that y'all um let me in the
39:30
space to be able to speak on what's going on and also speak about my album. All right. Thank you.
39:36
All right. Appreciate it. Peace, fam.