Emcees Yung Trybez and Young D are lifelong buds who have carved out their own territory within the sub-genre of Indigenous Trap. With a foundation that vibes off old school heavyweights like 2Pac and Biggie and a lyrical style that looks to Watch The Throne era Kanye and Jay-Z, Snotty Nose Rez Kids blend trap beats and sharp wit with an activist edge.

Their latest, Born Deadly, is a five-song EP of highly produced bangers, equally informed by rap classics and modern day bops. With the past informing the present, the Haisla hip-hop duo have made us a playlist of tracks that continue to shape their identities as innovators in a constantly evolving genre. Check it out and follow along with this Spotify playlist. 

Notorious B.I.G – Juicy (Ready to Die, 1994)

“It was all a dream!” Rez kids across Turtle Island have loved hip-hop for all its beauty since the early days. Since we could remember our big Minays (brothers, fam, squad) would have Pac & Biggie playing in the background. So, naturally, we learned their catalogues word-for-word and “Juicy” is definitely a stand out classic that everyone can rap their asses off to. 

2Pac – Dear Mama (Me Against the World, 1995)

You are appreciated! “Dear Mama” is a timeless classic that almost every Rrez kid can relate to. Our moms and grandmas are the backbones of our families and Pac gave us a chune that’ll forever be in the rotation as a reminder of who raised us. 

Dr. Dre – The Next Episode (2001, 1999)

We grew up watching the Up In Smoke Tour special religiously! We watched it like Kobe watched game tape and studied that shit  to a T.! It was that DVD that really set the bar for what we thought our live shows should look like.

Eminem – Lose Yourself (8 Mile Soundtrack, 2002)

Young D: We highly anticipated the release of 8 Mile. That was the movie that inspired themy first rap that I wrote the very next day. We used to battle rap in our basements and straight-up roast whoever stepped up. 

 Jay Z – Dirt Off Your Shoulder (The Black Album, 2003)

Young D: It took a hot minute for high-speed internet to hit the Rez, but when it finally did YouTube became my best friend. We used to watch the clip of how Timberland and Jay put this track together and loved how effortless it was for Jay to make a smash hit. It was being able to actually see the process that let us know anything can happen when you live in the moment.

Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Graduation, 2007)

“Wait till I get my money right.” We always talked about becoming “famous rappers” or making it big and this song was the anthem to that dream. Every time we play it we feel like the guys in The Hangover, pulling up on the Vegas night lights in a silver 1965 Mercedes 220SE with the top back ready to get into some shit.

Lil’ Wayne – Lollipop ft. Static Major (Tha Carter III, 2008)

We weren’t old enough to get into clubs when this joint dropped but we lived vicariously through Wayne. At the time Wayne was on top of the world and didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought about it. He had his own style and, in our opinion, changed the game both for how rappers rapped and dressed. Just watch the music video! 

Drake – Up All Night  ft. Nicki Minaj (Thank Me Later, 2010)

Drake is loyal to his day 1’s and his day 1’s are loyal to him. A lot like us with our Minays. Nicki and Drizzy were poppin’ off at this time and they let the world know they don’t give a fuck what you think about ‘em they gon’ do their thing regardless! “I love my team.”

Lil’ Wayne & Pharrell – Yes (Interstate Trappin, 2011)

The beat has a dark, gritty, deep, spacy vibe to it and it was produced by Pharrell. Wayne and Pharrell split the verses with 8 bars a piece and bring that fire! Pharrell’s cadence is infectious and he matches Wayne’s sound and lyrical capacity. Pharrell is a legend in his own right but this track made us realize the importance of cadence. 

 Jay Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It (Watch the Throne, 2011)

Although we didn’t know it at the time, the way Jay ‘n’ Ye went back and forth exchanging bars on this track would later inspire how we put SNRK songs together.

Kendrick Lamar – m.A.A.d city (good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2012)

Yung Trybez: The hip-hop heavy 2014 Pemberton Music Festival lineup included Kendrick, OutKast, Frank Ocean, Schoolboy Q, Tyler the Creator, Snoop Dogg etc. and it was the first festival I ever attended. So like most of those artists’ albums I spent the summer with good kid m.A.A.D city and learned all the lyrics word-for-word!! It was the first day of the festival and Kendrick was over an hour late for his set but we toughed it out so when he finally showed up we had a prime spot stage centre. When Kendrick performed “m.A.A.d city” I had already lost my friends in the crowd. A bunch of other people made a circle around me as I rapped the whole song at them! When I looked up at the stage I was on the two big screens beside the stage with a mosh of people around me rapping back at me. When I reconnected with the squad they were so excited to tell me they seen me on the big screens. I told them that would be me on the stage one day!

Tyga – Faded ft. Lil’ Wayne (Careless World: Rise of the Last King, 2012)

The hook on Faded is so simple and made us realize hooks can be just that, as long as they’re catchy and surrounded by STRAIGHT BARZ!!!!

Mac Miller – Desperado (Macadelic, 2012)

I don’t know what it was about Mac but it felt like we knew him personally. Blue Slide Park inspired us to upgrade our recording equipment and really start taking this shit seriously. Then he dropped Macadelic and as soon as I heard “Desperado” I knew I had to write a verse to it. Over four minutes of straight bars! RIP MAC

J. Cole – Let Nas Down (Born Sinner, 2013)

As a couple of the biggest Cole fans you’ll ever meet you need to understand how important this song is to us and the music we make today. Cole paints a picture and pays homage to the rap pioneers that shaped him and his craft while reminding us how important it is to stay true to yourself and your artistry. “Long live your idols may they never be your rivals, Pac was like Jesus, Nas wrote the bible.” 

Nicki Minaj – Only ft. Drake, Lil’ Wayne & Chris Brown (The Pinkprint, 2014)

Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money label reminded us of a big family with the heavy hitters being Drake, Nicki, Tyga, and of course Wayne. There was a lot of talk about Nicki and Drake having a “thing” but also talks about Nicki and Wayne having their own lil “thing” going on. In “Only” they squash those rumours but address the temptations. They do it with straight bars and style! That’s pretty cool. 

Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ Born Deadly EP is available to stream here. Check out their guest playlist on Spotify.