The Last Stand Mixtape Volume I

Indigenous youth are finding voice in music, and gravitating towards hip hop to tell their stories. There’s been an incredible emergence of Native hip hop over the last few years and this week that musical revolution has found its way to a 22-song mixtape featuring some of the best artists out there.

The Last Stand Mixtape is beautiful from track one to track 22, the first volume of what looks to be many volumes, beginning with the incomparable “#DearNativeYouth” from our friend Mic Jordan and ending with an uplifting tune called “Celebrate” by Thomas X. The songs and spoken word pieces are powerful, rooted in culture, exploring modern indigeneity.

Mic Jordan talks about the inspiration behind #DearNativeYouth during a Google hangout on October 27, 2015. Click here to watch the hangout in full.

“Remember the first time you heard a song, verse, line, beat, or poem that helped you make sense of your world?” reads Last Stand’s website.

“Remember how it spoke to whatever you were going through at the time? We all became artists because of that moment. We all became artists because we believe in art, music, poetry, and a song’s power to impact lives. The Last Stand is a return to those seeds of inspiration that got us to where we are today – practicing, breathing, working, and living artists.”

The mixtape has a mission, too: for Indigenous artists and musicians to take a stand for what they believe in, to inspire youth through spoken word and hip hop and to promote collaboration between Native artists.

The Last Stand Mixtape dropped online on Thursday and can be streamed or downloaded below.

Track list:

1. Mic Jordan – #DearNativeYouth
2. Supaman – Raise Em
3. Marlon Footracer – Dear Native Youth
4. Enter Tribal – The Love of My Life
5. Desirae Harp – Center of the Earth
6. Rowie Shebala – Indian Phoenix
7. Bobby Wilson – All Rise
8. Tall Paul – All Kingz
9. Autumn White Eyes – Indigene
10. Hannabah Blue – I Don’t Want to Be Sick Anymore
11. BazilleDx – A Tribute to Pain
12. David Rico – The Rez Don’t Visit
13. Lee Francis – Crack in the Mesa
14. Def-I – The Land of En*Frack*Ment
15. Tanaya Winder – Ain’t No Sunshine
16. Inez Jasper – Fallen Soldier
17. Reed Bobroff – The Four Elements of Ghost Dance
18. Wake Self – Today Was Like
19. Lyla June Johnson – Sundance Year Round
20. Echo Slim – On the Road
21. Frank Waln – Victory Song
22. Thomas X – Celebrate