Canadian First Nations hip hop act, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (SNRK) recently released their newest joint 'Where They At' featuring fellow First Nations rapper Drezus.
From the Haisla Nation of British Columbia, SNRK is the pairing of Young D and Yung Trybez who've been creating music together since 2016. Last year, they made their Australian live debut including a showcase at BIGSOUND.Equal parts creative flex and moment of optimism, 'Where They At' is inspired by SNRK living their best lives amid the madness of life. "A lot has changed in our lives over the years," Yung Trybez says.
"At the end of the day, we do our best to keep our heads high and keep moving forward. 'Where They At' was inspired by just experiencing life. We're letting you know we're doing alright through all the madness."
"The video shows SNRK and Drezus rolling through our old neighbourhood and on the open road," adds Yung Trybez.
"The dog next to me is actually my dog, Chauncey, who died recently. He was a real mascot for SNRK and featured on our first album cover art and has appeared in our music videos. You can hear him barking at the start of our song, 'Aliens vs. Indians'."
Who is Snotty Nose Rez Kids... We are Snotty Nose Rez Kids, comprised of Young D and Yung Trybez. We're both from the Haisla nation, based near Kitimat, BC, Canada.
We formed in 2016 and had a busy 2017 dropping two full-length albums. The second, 'The Average Savage', picked up a number of awards and nominations. We spent 2018 touring, building our team and creating our third full-length, 'TRAPLINE'.
In 2019 we toured extensively in Canada, US, Australia and Mexico and had 2020 teed up nicely for a new album and our first headline tour of the US.
COVID hit and we had to delay a lot of that, but still managed to drop an EP, 'Born Deadly', and a series of singles this fall, 'Where They At' and 'Screaming Indian' (out 27 November), and a feature in DJ Shub's upcoming album, called 'War Club' (out 4 December).
Our music is for our people, first and foremost. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. We've developed our own unique sound we call Indigenous trap. We're most at home on the stage where we can really bring our music to life and connect with crowds.
We sound like... We often get compared to Flatbush Zombies and Run The Jewels.
Our first gig was... Four years ago at a small restaurant called The Zawa here in Vancouver. Our crowd was just one, big table full of our fam. We got paid $75... for both of us. It's moments like that you can reflect on and realise that we've come a long way.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... We decided on our name back in late spring of 2016.
The original plan was to have our first album be called 'Snotty Nose Rez Kids', but the more we thought about it and worked on the album, the more it made sense to make that our name because it describes exactly who we are and where we come from in four words.
In the studio we usually... Like to get into a studio space that's familiar, have it the way we like, listen to some music we're messing with in the moment and catch a vibe.
D usually kicks it off with a writing exercise for ten minutes, to get warmed up. Once he lays down his part and sets the tone for the session, Trybez jumps in.
If we could tour with anyone... Mannnnnn, there's so many! EarthGang, Drake, Travis Scott, Jessie Reyez, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Run the Jewels, Tech N9ne, Eminem; but at the end of the day, we'd love to tour with anybody that matches our energy and vibe.
Social media is... Is good, bad and everything in between. It's even more addictive nowadays with COVID. It's almost like roulette, we never know if something will make us laugh with a post or just piss us off.
It's a tool that is more important than ever to an artist's career, but you can easily get sucked into it and have it play too big a role in your day-to-day life.
My favourite app at the moment is... TikTok has grown on us. It never fails whenever I need a good laugh and/ or pick me up. There's a lot of Indigenous TikTokers that are blowing up right now on that platform.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... You never want to be onstage and find out that you've ripped your pants wide open in front of a big crowd. Sometimes we go too hard on stage!
Life on the road can be... Super dope. It's always a blessing to be able to travel to new places and connect with people from all over the world. But it can take a toll on you if you don't take care of your body... mentally and physically.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Things that make us feel real deadly, ya know? Like ketchup chips. JK, but seriously we appreciate the little details and having a nice, quiet space where we can get ready for a show and a spot to unwind with friends after the set.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... We were in a bus accident back in high school. That was probably the worst. But we've also had some flights through some sketchy-ass weather too.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to your spokesperson... Tony Baker. Dude is f...ing hilarious. We need somebody that understands our sense of humour. Also, Don Burnstick. If you know, you know.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Sydney! Or somewhere in Europe (Italy or Spain).
Three people we'd love to have dinner with... Jessie Reyez, Amine, DaBaby – those would be some funny-ass conversations.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? BBQ Steak. If you're not into meat, we got you covered too.
No matter the expense, send us a case of... Craft beer, preferably Belgian Moon/ Blue Moon.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... March. I was getting back into playing basketball before everything shutdown :(
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Dishes.
Do you have any phobias... D is a germaphobe. Growing up, he was always the one that got sick out of his siblings.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? 'The Amazing Race', SNRK edition.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? We're not assholes, so we don't really get into the pranks. We want everyone around us having a good time. We'd rather share a drink and a laugh.
