Drezus (drē-zəˈs; born Jeremiah Manitopyes; August 28, 1982) is Plains Cree rapper and activist based in Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

. Drezus' accomplishments in the field of music include awards for Best Music Video, Best Producer/Engineer, Best Rap/Hip Hop Album, and Indigenous Entertainer of the Year. These awards followed the success of his album, ''Indian Summer'', released in the summer of 2014. However, Manitopyes' life was not always filled with awards and recognition. Growing up as a

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

person, he faced multiple jail stints and violence in his life. Manitopyes has found meaning in his music and is working to share it with those who will listen.

Early life

Jeremiah Manitopyes was born in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

on August 28, 1982.

Music career

Early career

War Party, a successful Native hip-hop group from the 90s, found themselves very impressed with the young rappers work after he laid down a 20-minute freestyle for them. One member of the group, Big Stomp, was especially impressed with the young rapper, pointing out the fact that Manitopyes was "a diamond in the rough." He was able to keep with the beat flawlessly and had no trouble flowing with the production.

2000–2012

Drezus was invited to start Rezofficial, which would include some of the former members of War Party. Their debut album, ''The Foundation'', would go on to win the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop album in 2004. Their big break would come in the form of an invitation to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. However, Drezus was unable to make it. As a result of his second distribution charge, he spent three years in jail.

2012–present

While attending a drug rehabilitation center in 2012, he took a cultural course which opened his eyes to the truth of his ancestry. As a result of such, he learned the songs of the Natives, and began to care about who he was as a person more than who he was on the streets. Although Manitopyes refers to this moment as one of the most eye-opening moments of his life, the real, single defining moment of his life would come soon after. After being released, he robbed a couple individuals in Winnipeg, but he didn't get away without repercussions. Their crew caught up to Manitopyes, robbed him of everything he had, and stomped him out. It was then that he decided he was done with this life forever. "I had two choices: The choice to retaliate, which meant at least someone losing their life…or getting the fuck out of there," he says. "It was a real ‘man-up’ moment." As a result of this event, he moved back to Calgary where he found his family waiting for him, including a young son he had left behind. His life would forever change, as he started feeling a connection to the people he had once left behind. He had new perspective that would undoubtedly change his music, as demonstrated with the 2013 release of ''Red Winter''. As a result of such album, Drezus has won multiple awards and been invited to visit and speak to government agencies such as the Calgary Youth Offender Center. Since the release of ''Red Winter,'' Drezus has recognized the fact that songs like ''Warpath'' are not going to be played on the radio, but he says that now, he is exactly where he should be. As of 2017, he has begun work with

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

from the Black Eyed Peas and has caught the eye of MTV/VMA with a nomination with Taboo for a possible award. Drezus, alongside Taboo with Mag7, officially won 'Best Fight Against The System" MTV VMA Award in Summer 2017. He is expected to drop a new album this summer, but the future of Drezus is yet to be seen. In August 2019 he appeared in

Yellowstone (American TV series) ''Yellowstone'' is an American neo-Western drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson that premiered on June 20, 2018, on Paramount Network. The series stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole ...

(Season 2, Episode 8).

Artistry

Musical style

Manitopyes has compared himself to artists such as

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

and

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

with his biggest influence of all time being Ice Cube. Some of his other influences, however, include

Notorious BIG Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

, and Run-DMC. His early musical style was similar to War Party, a Native hip-hop group. He would write about the gang lifestyle, but as he grew older, after a couple jail stints, he reformed his music to act as a retelling of his story, with ties to his Native life and history.

Activism

Since his recent success, Drezus has worked on giving back to his community. He holds youth/community workshops and gives keynote speeches regarding his journey. He hopes that other can learn from him and be inspired to make more of themselves and push themselves to new limits. He is currently touring, hoping to spread his influence and spread word of his journey to as many people as possible. "I would tell them that they are all young warriors and have a special place in this world as light givers. Put the phone down and go shoot some hoops, feel the sun, snow, rain or whatever and just be thankful to be alive. There is always a way out of whatever seems to be bothering you or preventing you from being happy. Be yourself, love hard and work harder. Be proud to be. One day while you’re out chasing your dreams that light will find you and it will show you a whole different world full of opportunities and goodness. Go get it."

Discography

*Indian Summer ** Solomon's Prayer ** The Sequel ** Like This ** Cruisin' (ft. Lightningcloud) ** Say (ft. Inez) ** All I Can Be (ft. K-Riz) ** Free ** Free Part II (ft. Fendercase) ** Nehiyah Girl (ft. Joey Stylez) ** Warpath ** High Note (ft. Merkules, Nato & Sese) ** Reminisce (ft. Hellnback & Big Slim) ** What You Need (ft. Fayliesha) ** The Morning After ** Out My Window (ft. Young Kidd) * Red Winter ** Intro ** Day of Action (ft. Main Flow) ** Red Winter ** Big Dreams (ft. Nato) ** Feel's Good (ft. Brooklyn) ** Me & U (ft. Inez Jasper) ** Lose Control ** Don't Give Up On Me ** Rose

Awards and nominations

* Indigenous Music Awards: ** Best Music Video: Warpath ** Best Producer/Engineer: Indian Summer ** Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album: Indian Summer ** Indigenous Entertainer of the Year * Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards: ** Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album: The Foundation * MTV Video Music Award: ** Best Fight Against the System with Mag7 * The SOCAN Awards: ** Vince Fontaine Indigenous Song Award

References

External links

* {{Authority control Canadian male rappers 1982 births Living people First Nations musicians Cree people Musicians from Saskatoon 21st-century Canadian rappers 21st-century Canadian male musicians