Supaman
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Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, known professionally as Supaman, is an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy war dancer who grew up in
Crow Agency, Montana Crow Agency () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Big Horn County, Montana, United States and is near the actual location for the Little Bighorn National Monument and re-enactment produced by the Real Bird family known as Battle of the Lit ...
. The child of parents who struggled with
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
, Supaman spent part of his childhood in foster care before being raised by his mother. He began
DJing A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
in the 90s after hearing a
Litefoot Gary Paul Davis (born September 11, 1968), better known professionally as Litefoot, is a Native American (Cherokee Nation) rapper, actor, and businessman. He is the Executive Director of the Native American Financial Services Association (NAFSA), ...
song (with the two touring together in 1999), In the fourth grade, Christian began dancing at
powwows A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their ...
. While in elementary school, he began to write poetry and later began to rap. He related to rap music because he felt he was going through the same issues that most artists were rapping about. Taking the name "Supaman" at the spur of the moment in a DJ competition, he began rapping in a more original style until he had a spiritual encounter that told him to live a better lifestyle and rap about more meaningful and inspirational topics. In the spiritual encounter, Supaman said his creator "let imknow ewas to do everything on isown." In 2003, Supaman founded the Native American hip-hop group Rezawrecktion, whose first album, ''It's Time'', won a
Native American Music Award The Native American Music Awards (also known as the NAMAs or "Nammys") are an awards program presented annually by Elbel Productions, Inc., The Native American Music Awards Inc., and The Native American Music Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profi ...
in 2005. Since then, he has released four solo albums and received coverage and plaudits for the song "Why?" featuring Acosia Red Elk. In his hit track, "Prayer Loop Song", Supaman utilizes various instruments including the drum and the ute all while beatboxing, rapping, and remixing different Native tracks. His reasoning for the song and video was an audition tape for ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
.'' Alongside rapping, he also tours schools, where he educates students about Native American history and culture. He performed on the live music
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
show ''Wonderland''. In 2013, his music and his fancy dancing skills were featured on a float for the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
. Supaman is known for performing his music while wearing his traditional
fancy dance Fancy dance, Pan-Indian dancing, Fancy Feather or Fancy War Dance is a style of dance some believe was originally created by members of the Ponca tribe in the 1920s and 1930s, in an attempt to preserve their culture and religion. It is loosely ba ...
outfit. He started doing this by accident when he was forced to do his musical performance right after he had performed a fancy dance while at a show for a school. Supaman typically fuses spiritual concepts and ideas with his rap music. Supaman creates all of his albums by himself, doing everything from singing and writing the music to creating and designing the covers. Supaman is a supporter of the
Dakota Access Pipeline protests The Dakota Access Pipeline Protests or the Standing Rock Protests, also known by the hashtag #NODAPL, NoDAPL, were a series of grassroots Native Americans in the United States, Native American protests against the construction of the Dakota Ac ...
, frequently visiting Standing Rock to perform and speak. He is featured alongside MAG7 in the
Taboo A taboo 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, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
video "Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL" which won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message in 2017. He has also been nominated for and received multiple awards for his work as a DJ, singer, and rapper, and a fancy dancer including the Tuney Award which he won seven times, the Aboriginal Peoples Music Choice Award, and the North America Indigenous Music Award. In January 2018, Supaman released his fifth album, ''Illuminatives''. In May 2021, he released his album ''Medicine Bundle.''


Discography

* ''It's Time'' (2005, with Rezawrecktion) * ''Honest to God'' (2007) * ''Crow Hop'' (2008) * ''Deadly Penz'' (2009) * ''Gorilla'' (2013) * ''Illuminatives'' (2018) * ''Medicine Bundle'' (2021) * ''The Dream'' (2024)


References

{{Authority control Crow people Living people Rappers from Montana Native American rappers Native American dancers 21st-century American rappers Year of birth missing (living people)