♪ Sahar: Good evening and welcome!

It's KVCarts, arts and entertainment in our region as well as the people providing it.

I'm Sahar Khadjenoury.

♪ Sahar: Tonight, it's music and conversation with rapper and hip-hop artist Def I.

You can find his and other music videos on The AUX, the Aboriginal Unity Experience, the indigenous music video series from FNX.

♪ Sahar: So, I'd like to introduce to you Mr. Def I.

Can you tell me how did your name come about?

Def I: I got my name, Def I is short for Definition Rare.

I'm in a group with a friend of mine.

It's also got roots in, you know, there's high fi, low fi, high definition, low definition.

Def I is somewhere in the middle.

There's a Pro Tool plugin actually that came out, too.

It basically helps an artist, er, I mean engineers to have a sound that's organic analog but still existing in the digital realm.

I liked how that sounded when I first heard about it, read about that.

It's also short for 'defiant' because hip-hop to me is a form of resistance.

And, I played a lot of baseball when I was young and I did a lot of baseball tournaments at Fort Defiance.

So, Def I has always been a part of me.

When I was a little kid reading about hip-hop in elementary- you know, they have the little books in the library that have little glossary terms at the end?

There was a hip-hop book.

In the back there was the word "Def" and back in the '80s, early '90s, Def was like synonymous with...fresh, being fresh.

And "I" is just who I am, so it kind of worked out together.

It's also short for "definitely eternal, forever internal."

So, that means basically what's inside you lasts longer than, you know, your skin or your body.

So, I'm leaving my mark through music in that sense.

"Def I" has stuck with me throughout the time.

Sahar: Bravo!

That's definitely something that sounds like you thought about, and I like how you have that techie side!

Def I (laughs): Yeah, thanks!

Oops.

Sahar: I especially notice it because you already scoped out the microphone, so that was pretty impressive!

(laughter) Sahar: So, I feel like maybe I jumped the gun a little bit.

Def I: Oh, ok. Sahar: I should have you introduce yourself in Navajo.

Def I: Okay.

(Diné translation) Hello, my name is Christopher Mike-Bidtah.

I am of the Mexican People Clan.

Born for the Re d-Running-Into-the-Water Clan.

The Many Hogans Clan are my maternal Grandfather.

And the Water's Edge Clan are my paternal grandfather.

Sahar: Which is fantastic!

I'm also, my first clan is (Diné translation) also the Mexican People Clan and I am born for the Persian.

The Folded Ar m People Clan are my maternal grandfather.

And my the Persian are my paternal Grandfather.

Sahar: And, for our listeners that means that my first clan is the Mexican People Clan and I am born for the Persian.

My grandfather is from the Folded Arm clan, and my paternal grandparents are Persian.

But, that is fantastic.

That means you and I are...brother/sister?

Def I: I think so, yeah.

From the first clan?

Yeah, that's right.

That's right.

Sahar: What a small world!

(laughter) Def I: That's true.

Sahar: I remember in high school on the rez, it was kind of looked down upon to speak Navajo at school.

You got teased for it for being, like, I guess you call it the country bumpkin.

Def I: Mm hm.

Sahar: But now, it's actually- people are wishing they had learned, and they're wanting to learn.

There's this new pride, I guess, in being Diné or being I guess Native, in general.

What's your experience been like?

Def I: As a youth, there was only one other Native American student when I was going to school in Albuquerque at Mark Twain Elementary.

When I moved to Shiprock, everybody was like 'yo, you're Native but then you don't really look or act exactly like we do'.

Because I was from an urban area right before, so I had a little trouble fitting in.

And, a lot of people did speak the language there.

Thanks to my grandparents on my mother's side, they taught me a lot about Diné culture.

But, I didn't speak it as fluent as others so I'm still learning.

I'm able to at least understand more.

I'm taking some classes to try to brush up on my Diné.

I recently got asked to be a part of this worldwide Chopper song.

That originates from Project Blowed out here in L.A.

So, that's- land of the choppers?

"Chopping" is rapping really fast.

So, they want me to chop in Diné.

So, I'm having a friend of mine help me at least do a couple bars so I could put our own dialect and native tongue in it, too.

But, that's a challenge for me too because to be able to rap and chop your syllables up so quick and so...in a way where it's on the beat, almost like a double time.

It's going to be something even more of a challenge to be able to do that in Diné because we have different glottal stops and tonal sounds, and everything like that.

So, I'm still learning but I definitely want to apply it more in my music.

There's other Diné rappers out there, too who can speak and rap, and I give them credit too.

Much respect to them, but I want to do it in a different way where...I don't think people have chopped in Diné before but I want to try it out.

It's a challenge.

So, yeah.

Sahar: I'm so curious, but I'm not going to put you on the spot!

Def I: Ok. Sahar (laughs): When you're ready.

Def I: Okay.

Sahar: Are you ready?

Def I: No, no!

I'm not ready yet!

(she laughs) I barely got asked, like, I'd say maybe a couple weeks ago.

So, I'm still writing.

I probably won't do my whole verse in Diné.

That's going to take a long time, but I will throw some lines in there.

So when I'm ready, I'll send it your way.

Sahar: Yes!

I'll be looking forward to that.

What's great is that you came to San Bernardino and we're shooting tonight's episode of KVCarts.

Can you tell our audience where you're from, actually where you're living now and where you grew up?

Def I: Yeah.

I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Then, I moved to Shiprock, New Mexico.

My family on my maternal side, they live in Sanostee, New Mexico and originate from Beautiful Mountain.

Which, you know, we have four sacred mountains in our homelands but it's also believed that Beautiful Mountain is also another sacred mountain.

Because when the two twins, as legend goes, before they went up to the sun to gather the type of tools and weapons to help save the planet, they had a ceremony in that mountain there.

And to this day, if you go there, you'll see a male hogan in the mountain.

It's huge and it faces the east.

So as the legend goes, you could tell the land tells its story and speaks truth.

So, I was like 'wow, I didn't know that' until my grandfather shared that with me.

My shicheii, as we say our "grandfather" back home.

I call him.

But, that's where I'm from.

So, I'm very thankful and blessed to be from that area.

And, Albuquerque?

Not too far from there, so I was on-and-off the rez for a long time.

Sahar: So being from Shiprock, you take a part- I mean, your culture is definitely ingrained within you.

And, you're also a hip-hop artist.

Do you find yourself often melding the two together?

The two worlds?

Def I: Yeah, I'd say so.

Some of my songs, I try to include a lot of my Diné culture in it as well as hip-hop culture.

Primarily, both of them together.

I found a lot of similarities between being Diné and being a hip-hop artist at a young age because of the number 4, the sacred number 4.

You know, there's four elements to life; four seasons; four stages of life, mainly.

And, there's also four sacred herbal medicines that many Natives use for ceremony.

And hip-hop?

There's four sacred elements or four main elements to hip-hop.

As a Diné person, we're surrounded by four sacred mountains and a lot of times us rappers or MCs end up rapping on 4/4 time signature beats.

So, it all sticks together and it has a great connection between both cultures.

That being said, knowing that, I feel like every time I rap it's almost like you're including your Diné history and identity along with it.

Because for many generations, our people have been singing and praying over drum beats in ceremonies, and I try to consider my music being the same way.

Not just raps but also prayers, in a sense.

♪ Def-I (sings rap): As Earth's soil is exploited on the map.

♪ ♪ They got the oil on tap, enjoying spoils of the frack.

♪ ♪ They try to lie to us and say that this does not occur.

♪ The truth is they're creating agents in our aquifer.

♪ ♪ Play the mockingbird and face another officer.

♪ ♪ All in the meanwhile they'll take and rape another plot ♪ ♪ of Earth.

Greedy CEO's hide beneath the blame and ♪ ♪ claim it's the golden goose, so why should we complain?

♪ ♪ I'm trying to free my people inside of this evil frame.

♪ ♪ I'm tired of this greedy game and the lies that'll ♪ ♪ eat your brain.

Stripped people from the land ♪ ♪ to start making this money, and you wonder why ♪ ♪ foreigners have a hate for this country.

♪ ♪ We look fake and so ugly, faceless, tainted and bloody ♪ ♪ from the eyes of a child who's jaded, naked, and hungry.

♪ ♪ Respect hard-working people with the trade and a vision.

♪ ♪ But, there's other ways of getting paid ♪ ♪ and making a living.

♪ ♪ It's crazy what they can do or say ♪ ♪ to pay for your pension.

Awake the slaves ♪ ♪ from this system and break the chains from this fiction.

♪ ♪ Contracts filled with trickery?

♪ ♪ That's an understatement.

All I know is that ♪ ♪ in this industry there's nothing sacred.

♪ ♪ You could test for chem trails in the rain puddles.

♪ ♪ Remain humble cuz' we all came from the same struggle.

♪ ♪ You could strike a match or maybe flick a lighter ♪ ♪ to a faucet and watch tapwater catch fire.

♪ ♪ They're making millions off our misery and liquor sales.

♪ ♪ One day the Mother Earth will tip the Richter scale.

♪ ♪ Then, those pipelines get stripped like Chippendale's.

♪ ♪ All these issues are artificial like missile trails ♪ ♪ until it hits all the ditches and the wishing wells.

♪ ♪ I'm not trying to diss you.

I really wish you well.

♪ ♪ Tap it till it's drained.

There's acid in our rain.

♪ ♪ We'd come to a natural realizaton, ♪ ♪ if we could catch and feel her pain.

♪ ♪ Currently, they're searching for a planet to invade.

♪ ♪ Looking for alien natives to capture then enslave.

♪ ♪ Creating more jobs at our environment's expense.

♪ ♪ Where the truth won't cut it like the IRS' checks.

♪ ♪ They want you to survive off your retirement, at best.

♪ ♪ They're playing catch with us and rely on us to fetch.

♪ ♪ Success is rising up and flying on excess.

♪ ♪ We're stressed on a daily basis tied up in this mess.

♪ ♪ They'll watch the world plummet on its cybernetic legs.

♪ Then, hire someone to burn it down for pyrotech effects.

♪ ♪ They'll fire anyone who is defiant or against, ♪ ♪ and put a rifle to the chest if you're a rival or a threat.

♪ ♪ I wish we could all cypher and siphon out the rest.

♪ ♪ But, truthfully their actions are stifling, at best.

♪ ♪ Whatever we can count and amount to now today, ♪ ♪ won't compare to future generations down the way.

♪ ♪ At times, I feel I can't rely on my own tribal leaders for ♪ ♪ lying and signing deals with those supplying glycol ethers.

♪ ♪ This is polluting our people and it's dividing the land.

♪ ♪ The pursuit for the root of all evil ♪ ♪ meets the demise of its plan.

♪ ♪ The Land of Enofrackoment, gas is extracted ♪ ♪ and trafficked, hazardous acids implanted ♪ ♪ and trapped in a sandpit.

From Canada and back, ♪ ♪ the passage is cracked in fragments.

Actual fact, ♪ ♪ sample the track and track damage.

♪ ♪ Having a bad trip and imagine what you had for granted.

♪ ♪ Now, catch a random axe from random acts acting backwards.

♪ ♪ Their money stacks higher as the fire runs rapid.

♪ ♪ Packaged in cans for masses while they ♪ ♪ damage and impact the planet.

♪ ♪ (impact the planet, impact the planet...) ♪ Sahar: Wow!

You're fantastic.

Def I: Aw, thanks.

You, too.

Sahar: Aw, thank you!

You know, when I'm listening to your music...you're so conscious about the environment.

And, you're so aware of what's going on now.

Why do you think that's important to bring that awareness and creating music, I think, is your platform.

Why is it important that we create this?

You know...it's beyond just a local awareness.

It's like an international awareness.

Def I: I think it's important because our people haven't really had a main voice until very recently to tell our own stories and our own narratives.

Hip-hop is the perfect platform that allows people to express themselves, either through music, MC'ing, dancing, visual arts or even just DJ'ing, too.

So, I feel like hip-hop is a very, very beautiful and sacred art form.

I somewhat believe that, well?

Actually, I do believe that our people have been kind of practicing these elements of hip-hop for many years, just in somewhat different contexts.

But, it's very important I think that especially now to get our messages out there because it's important for us to tell our own stories and create our own history versus always reading about it from your schoolbooks.

Sahar: That's exactly what I think of when I listen to your song "Land of Enfrackment"- Def I: Okay.

Sahar: for example.

And really, battling, or taking on fracking our homelands.

That's really something pretty courageous.

Give us a lyric from your song.

Def I: Okay.

At the end of "Land of Enfrackment", I end it off like this.

It goes...(recites) "the Land of Enfrackment "gas is extracted and trafficked.

"Hazardous acids implanted and trapped in our sandpit.

"From Canada and back, the passage is cracked in fragments.

Actual fact, sample the track and track damage."

And, it goes on a little bit more but basically, providing an image of the environmental damage or injustice that's happening.

Here in the Southwest where I'm from, we have a slogan or the state basically is known as being the "Land of Enchantment".

But all in all, when you drive out to the rural areas out on the reservation away from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, you see a lot of hydraulic fracturing zones.

It's really starting to overwhelm the land a lot.

It's getting close to Chaco Canyon and other sacred sites that our people have been from.

I feel like that song provides a little bit of awareness about what's happening out there because a lot of people don't really see that if you're primarily in Santa Fe or Albuquerque.

You've got to drive out to the reservation to really see the damage that's being caused from a lot of these hydraulic fracturing zones.

That song "Land of Enfrackment" speaks on what's happening.

The last couple bars that I just recited are at the end of the song.

Thanks for asking about that.

Sahar: I love that.

It's creating awareness not just to a smaller demographic.

This is to people of our same age and even people who are younger.

So, wow!

Yes.

And your song "Water is Life".

I think last year, Standing Rock really opened up- Def I: Mm hm.

Sahar: our eyes in so many ways.

What inspired you, of course, to write this particular song?

Def I: A lot of the Water Protectors out there inspired me to write that song.

I just kept seeing my feeds on all social media platforms become swept over from water protectors broadcasting from their phones, basically.

After seeing what was happening there, I felt like at least I could offer myself and my skill set as an MC to at least also help spread awareness, and get the message out there.

Like, 'hey, we as hip-hop artists don't always have to rap about'- Sahar: Yes.

Def I: 'the basic topics that most hip-hop artists rap about.'

We can focus on larger issues and environmental issues that are at hand right now, currently.

Such as Standing Rock, No DAPL and many other- how should I say?

I don't want to use a bad word, but (she laughs) just a lot of treachery going on in our country in other places that are being caused from large corporations that are trying to sweep the nation to make money and profit over Mother Earth, basically.

♪ Def I (sings): Water is life.

What up?

♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah!

Wow!

♪ ♪ Some are making comparisons others ♪ ♪ hate on my heritage.

♪ ♪ Say what they say I'm labeled as a Native American.

♪ ♪ Seen another native too faded made an embarrassment.

♪ ♪ Have to tell our own stories and make our own narratives.

♪ ♪ They look at my face and start behaving racist and arrogant.

♪ ♪ Stating our case but were more than able to bear with it.

♪ ♪ Wash the pain away it's ok the rain will take care of it.

♪ ♪ Sacred locations made to embrace and then cherish it.

♪ ♪ I'm bombing on these walls some people calling it graffiti.

♪ Throwing up a hollow then it's followed by a 3D.

♪ ♪ Tagging up no DAPL, they're not honoring the treaties.

♪ ♪ We tried to call Obama but Obama wouldn't see me.

♪ ♪ Following the dollar nothing's offered to the needy.

♪ ♪ They're watching on their TV and their pockets ♪ ♪ are too greedy.

♪ ♪ Peace to all our people who were brought up in the tepees.

♪ ♪ Average Americans think we're all living off of freebies.

♪ ♪ That say history repeats itself and it's ♪ ♪ constantly repeating.

♪ ♪ They try slaughter all of us and thought it would be easy.

♪ ♪ They're locking us up and don't even want us ♪ ♪ to be breathing.

♪ ♪ Caught up in a gauntlet yet we keep walking ♪ ♪ through these beatings.

♪ ♪ Stop swallowing their vodka and your ♪ ♪ body should stop reeking.

♪ ♪ We've seen hollow broken dreams, no bottle and no genies.

♪ Too many of my people have fallen from diabetes.

♪ ♪ We can stop it from succeeding and no we're not retreating.

♪ ♪ What happens when gas and fossil fuels start leaking?

♪ ♪ Proceeding towards our rivers while our livers start bleeding.

♪ I'm rocking my mocs while I'm rocking these Mics.

♪ ♪ We all can unite for what's right for Water is life.

♪ ♪ The last time I checked they were desecrating grave sites.

♪ ♪ Spoke to God and said this is messed up and this aint right.

♪ ♪ All people of color were together in the same fight.

♪ ♪ We are not infected, we're protected from the snakebite.

♪ ♪ May weapons of mass expression step into the stage light.

♪ ♪ They're spreading out their bread and credit ♪ ♪ whenever they lay pipe.

♪ ♪ How could we ever be trespassing over our own lands?

♪ We have our prayers tied and tied as we hold hands.

♪ ♪ Tired of being oppressed by the oppressor.

♪ ♪ Tired of being labeled a protester not a protector.

♪ ♪ We're Natives of today saving our ways.

♪ ♪ The hate's fading away as we raise prayers and sage.

♪ ♪ Security snakes making a wage.

Spraying Mace in your face.

♪ ♪ Government slaves do what it takes to get paid.

♪ ♪ We can't drink oil.

Please leave it in the soil.

♪ ♪ Only their royalty are reaping up the spoils.

♪ ♪ Some leaders are misleading us and leaving us to boil.

♪ ♪ Our heart keeps beating while earth is bleeding in turmoil.

♪ ♪ Truthfully I speak in unity with my community.

♪ ♪ They said break a leg my homie said how bout wound a knee?

♪ ♪ My slow flow is thrown at you this is no DAPL.

♪ ♪ White DAPL security looking like cold statues.

♪ ♪ Yet they claim we showed up with shotguns and molotovs.

♪ ♪ Calling all warriors to drop your tomahawks.

♪ ♪ Yet we brought the peace pipes and Tatanka songs.

♪ ♪ It's like a lot of cops forgotten all their common laws.

♪ This dreamlike sleep provides clean sight ♪ ♪ as we breathe and see light.

♪ ♪ MCs rewrite history with these mics.

♪ ♪ We fight the beast inside corrupt police who read rights.

♪ To put us in dog kennels like felons with 3 strikes.

♪ ♪ Each night we dream life gets seen bright between flights.

♪ ♪ Rhyme schemes of bright beams divine beings who reach heights.

♪ There really is no justice, no peace just my peace pipe.

♪ ♪ While the privileged live and think everything seems nice.

♪ ♪ Earth is not a test tube, respect rain and life.

♪ ♪ Now the frontline is everywhere ♪ ♪ protect sacred sites.

♪ ♪ Water is life.

♪ Def I: I just wanted to get more involved and show my support.

So, I wrote this song "Water is Life" and shot a music video for it, too.

It came out great!

It stars two dancers: my friend, Sequoia, and my good friend, Xavier.

They're very young but they're amazing, talented dancers.

Directed by my friend, Darryl Bolton.

The song is definitely close to me.

It's one of the songs that I really love on my new album, "Arrow Rhymanics."

If you haven't seen it already, you can watch it here on FNX too, or The AUX.

Right?

Sahar: Yeah, The AUX.

And for your fans that are watching, we have been checking out your Facebook Live videos.

And, you also have a different style.

So aside from hip-hop or rap with traditional hip-hop beats, I noticed that you've also been mixing in- Def I: Mm hm.

Sahar: a more jazzy feel.

Def I: Right.

Sahar: Kind of like bringing those two worlds together.

How did you come up with that idea?

Def I: Bringing those two worlds together stemmed from the recent collaboration that I've been working on with a live band, the Delbert Anderson Trio.

Together, we go by "D-DAT": D-D-A-T. We formulated something kind of different.

It's like jazz.

It's funk.

It's hip-hop, spoken word, rap.

And, a little bit of some other elements in there, too.

But, we've been recently making a lot of headway as a band with our live performances.

People enjoy it from all different age groups.

The children seem to enjoy it, er, teenagers.

The younger generation because it's the rap aspect.

And, the older crowd really enjoy it because of the jazz element.

So, people really enjoy that because they see the musicianship between all of us and it's also just raw and funky, too.

So, it's been a great experience working with a live band too, because of little things like not having to bring my USB to the set, or worrying about having a DJ show up late!

[Sahar chuckles] It's like the band provides everything there for you.

So, we have a live trumpet.

We have a percussionist, and an upright bass player and I'm the front man on the mic.

♪ (vocalizes) ♪ ♪ Def I (sings): Staring at the sunset heading westward bound.

♪ ♪ Less than a quarter mile away, time to exit now.

♪ ♪ I'm heading out and I'm coming back on a separate route.

♪ ♪ With my luggage packed, left my town for the love of rap.

♪ ♪ Cruising on the expressway as I'm passing you by.

♪ ♪ Steady moving through the left lane on the passenger's side.

♪ ♪ Always on the clutch, no need for manual drive.

♪ ♪ Safe travels to that avenue, read your traveler's guide.

♪ ♪ Blasting through traffic, avoid crashes on I-25.

♪ ♪ Always live with the rhyme, I ride off the vibe ♪ ♪ and that natural high.

On the road all night ♪ ♪ to make the show on time.

Just to hold that mic right ♪ ♪ and to quote my lines.

I'll be home by twilight ♪ ♪ off that solo grind.

Always on the go thanks to those ♪ ♪ who know my rhymes.

It's that photo framed that hangs ♪ ♪ and it's picture perfect.

Glad that I came.

♪ ♪ What can I say?

This trip was worth it.

♪ ♪ Missed it within minutes, things look different ♪ ♪ from a distance.

So don't let your marathons ♪ ♪ get mixed up with your wind sprints.

♪ ♪ Going where nobody knows and no one cares.

♪ ♪ Just the bare country road and some open air.

♪ ♪ ♪ Def I (sings): Driving late night the roads aligning to ♪ ♪ Orion's Belt.

Let's take my rhyme to a different space, ♪ ♪ time, and realm.

Grind through any type of weather.

♪ ♪ Strive to earn my stripes and feathers.

Slicing on the mic to ♪ sever provide sight for the blind.

Enter cypher divine, ♪ ♪ write rhymes, mic right by my side as I drive into the ♪ ♪ night shine bright, living life forever.

♪ ♪ Attain your goals reach for'em.

♪ ♪ Pay the toll, proceed forward.

♪ ♪ Train to go thanks to those who ♪ ♪ paved the road while we touring.

♪ ♪ ♪ (softer/slower music) ♪ ♪ (trumpet solo) ♪ (trumpet/percussion) ♪ Def I: So together, we're a quartet.

Once again, the number 4 comes back into play.

Sahar: That's right.

Wow!

So this video where you're performing, tell me more about this.

Def I: The video with the jazz band D-DAT was shot and recorded in Cortez, Colorado at the Sunflower Theater.

They shot the video because we were auditioning for NPR's Tiny Desk contest, and we did very good.

We barely began as a band but NPR did note us as one of their top 10 finalists.

So, that was cool to get that recognition from NPR.

I love NPR!

Sahar: So, do you have an album for D-DAT coming out soon?

Def I: Yeah.

That's going to drop in September.

We still don't have an album title yet, but I've recorded about nine songs with them so far.

We're trying to do 11.

So when I get home, after this I'm going to head home, hit the studio and record the last two songs.

♪ [vocal scratches] ♪