♪ David: Good evening and welcome.

It's KVC arts.

Arts and entertainment in our region as well as the people and places providing it.

I'm David Fleming.

Tonight it's music and conversation with rap and hip-hop artist Drezus.

And as of Friday January 20th, you can find him on the AUX, the music video service of FNX, fnx.org/theaux.

A-U-X.

We'll be seeing the video for "Warpath" from his release, "Indian Summer."

We'll talk about that one a bit later in the program but first things first.

David: Now, I'm going to start with something really on the newer side and at least at 2014, so newer side, all things relative.

But the song, "Reminisce."

Drezus: Uh huh.

David: And this, by the way, is one that is just- I don't know how to say it other than catchy.

This is going to be the one I would think, or maybe is the one and has been the one that gets you known everywhere.

I'm surprised there's- is there a video out on this one yet?

Drezus: No, there hasn't been.

David: There's- what's really cool on this one is that- I'm going to quote it, "I've been waiting my whole career to make a song like this."

And so the song "Reminisce", it's your story but it's also a big, big thanks to the fans.

♪ Drezus (sings): I've been waiting my whole career to ♪ ♪ make a song like this for all the fans- ♪ David: So tell me about how this song came together.

How'd this rap?

Drezus: I actually got together with my old group, Team Rezofficial- David: Mm okay, okay.

Drezus: And wanted to make kind of like the reunion track.

David: Nice.

Drezus: And my homeboy- actually the guy who actually says that is Hellnback.

David: Oh okay, okay.

Drezus: And he kind of speaks for me too though because it just speaks to the fact that we've been doing this for a long time and we really appreciate the fans.

David: Absolutely.

Drezus: You know what I mean?

David: Got you, okay.

And now let's see, you were what- where are you?

You were Saskatoon?

Is that where you're from?

Drezus: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; I was born.

David: Okay, okay.

Now it says, this is straight from a bio that I read out there, "You began rapping at a young age turning poetry into rhymes that fit the beat."

And so, talk about this.

You would see other poems and then you would say them.

I mean, tell me about this.

Drezus: I think I just became- I first developed the love for- I liked words.

David: Okay.

You know, I liked to put words together in poetry form and then hip-hop kind of just became- hip-hop was there.

David: Right.

Drezus: As I was growing up and it just became something I gravitated toward.

♪ Drezus (to crowd): You are a spark that will ♪ ♪ ignite a thousand more people.

♪ ♪ We will be one million strong.

♪ ♪ (people cheer) ♪ ♪ ♪ Drezus (sings): I'm seeing red ♪ I bleed red I'm seeing red.

♪ ♪ I'm praying for my people out there ♪ ♪ who ain't seen it yet.

♪ ♪ His blood is cold.

♪ ♪ He's living lies forever told ♪ ♪ by his ancestors 500 years ago.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I said they got my peoples getting restless.

♪ ♪ Making money off our land and we ain't even ♪ ♪ on the guest list.

♪ ♪ Carry on traditions of a racist pilgrim.

♪ ♪ And I know you really love it when my people play the ♪ ♪ victim 'cause it makes it seem like ♪ ♪ we folding under pressure.

♪ ♪ But we up to bat now, no more playing catch up.

♪ ♪ Cause we see the bigger picture that ♪ ♪ we have to capture.

♪ ♪ See how quick we get together man ♪ ♪ we out to get ya.

♪ ♪ You can lock us in jail and throw away the key.

♪ ♪ Take away my rights but you ain't stopping me.

♪ ♪ Because I've been quiet for too long ♪ ♪ it's time to speak.

♪ ♪ We got to stand for something to keep us free.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ I'm getting aggravated.

♪ ♪ My people saying chill.

♪ ♪ I feel my heart breaking but I don't need your pills.

♪ ♪ I need my people strong.

♪ ♪ We're hearts of many men.

♪ ♪ He letting women die outside of the Parliament.

♪ ♪ Our positions only sided for their benefit.

♪ ♪ The only ones repealing God is us ♪ ♪ and that's so evident.

♪ ♪ Before you take a stand remember to get educated.

♪ ♪ Once you understand the message, go and share it ♪ ♪ with your neighbors.

♪ ♪ Basically we getting taken hostage for our land.

♪ ♪ Until we sell it out for profit.

♪ ♪ Now they got the upper hand.

♪ ♪ But trust me, we can stop it.

♪ ♪ I'm thanking the Four Sisters.

♪ ♪ Dear Mr. Harper, we all coming to get you.

♪ ♪ And we won't stop for nothing.

♪ ♪ We're bringing all of our cousins.

♪ ♪ And we getting educated so this fighting ♪ ♪ ain't for nothing.

♪ ♪ Stand up for your people.

♪ ♪ Our time for power is coming.

♪ ♪ I'm a full blooded Native.

♪ ♪ Believe me I'm proud of it.

Hey.

♪ ♪ You can lock us in jail and throw away the key.

♪ ♪ Take away my rights but you ain't stopping me.

♪ ♪ Because I've been quiet for too long ♪ ♪ it's time to speak.

♪ ♪ We got to stand for something to keep us free.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ I'm idle no more.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm idle no more.

♪ David: Well, you at some point in your life were not Drezus but you were at one point Jeremiah Manitopyes.

Drezus: Yes sir.

David: Does anybody ever call you Jeremiah?

Is this just maybe your grandma when you're in trouble or something like that?

That's when it starts off.

(Drezus chuckles) Were you ever little Jerry?

Drezus: No.

Not Jerry, man.

(David laughs) I didn't even know Jerry- you could turn Jeremiah into Jerry.

David: Okay, okay.

Drezus: Come on, bro.

(David laughs) No, I'm just messing with you.

Um, Jeremiah?

Who calls me Jeremiah?

Mm.

David: (snickers) Okay.

Drezus: That's a good question, man.

You know what?

I think people who really want to be on my good side- David: Uh huh- Drezus: Be like pull out the Jeremiah on me all of a sudden.

David: Okay, okay.

Drezus: But my mom, she calls me Jer.

David: Jer, okay okay.

Simple, okay.

Drezus: You're close.

David: Okay.

Drezus: With the Jerry.

David: Yeah.

Drezus: But yeah, she calls me Jer.

David: Well, now before you were Drezus you were Dro and now I want to hear about the transition Dro to Drezus.

I found Drezus.

Dro, it became a nickname on the street and within like different music families in- all over the place, you know and it came to this point when I was like- I was watching TV and I see Young Dro.

David: Hm.

Drezus: You know and I was like, "Ah man, this guy is "way bigger than me.

He's out there with TI making all this noise."

And then I met this guy named Reverend Dro, in Toronto.

And then, there's another guy named Little Dro.

And I was, like, "Man, I don't want to just be like you know, another Dro."

You know, I felt like I could be easily swept aside or something with too many- you know, when Young Dro falls out, maybe I might fall out too.

(David chuckles) But it was just one of those things where I didn't really know too much about the music, about you know I was still trying to find myself musically and even as a person.

And my boy, Hellnback from Team Rezofficial, he used to always play with the words all the time.

He's one of those guys.

One of those word- I don't know.

He used to call me- Dro turned into Droseph.

David: Okay.

Drezus: Somehow into Dreeze, Drizzle, Dreezy, Drizzy- that was before Drake by the way.

(David laughs) Uh yeah, Drizzle and then somehow one day- this was around the time when like Snoop Dog was like, "For shizzle-" David: Uh huh.

"For shizzle."

David: This, this, this and that.

David: Yeah, yeah.

Drezus: And we were just playing around and for some reason, my boy Hellnback called me Saint Drezus one day.

David: I love it.

Drezus: And I was like, "Saint?

What are you calling me?

I ain't no saint."

(David laughs) But we kept the Drezus and I can't even explain it, man.

There's not no really cool back story to it.

I've been telling a lot of people that.

David: I just heard a really cool back story to it.

Drezus: There you go.

Hey, there you go.

(David Laughs) But, yeah.

Basically, it just kind of morphed into that and um- David: Okay.

I never thought about Dro spelled D-R-O but when you're saying it it's short, Jerome.

Drezus: Yeah.

David: Jero.

Drezus: Yeah, yeah.

David: Yeah, okay.

Drezus: There you go.

David: Okay, wow.

Drezus: So I mean like- yeah, Drezus just came about and we thought it was unique, and it was kind of I wanted it to be unique.

I wanted it to be.

And even we found out that a lot of people couldn't say it- David: Drezus.

Drezus: Drezus.

David: Drezus, Mary, and Droseph.

Drezus: There you go, Drezus, Mary- David: there's an edit point if I ever wrote one!

Okay.

Drezus: Drezus, Mary, and Droseph.

David: Well, "Warpath."

Now going back to your release "Indian Summer" again.

This one's from 2014 and it's out there.

You can still get it.

But "Warpath", this is one of the videos available from "Indian Summer" as well.

And it's noted that it's directed by Stuey Kubrick.

So simply, who is Stuey?

How did he enter the picture on this one?

Drezus: Oh man, Stuey is a genius.

David: Oh, nice start.

Good intro.

Drezus: He, um- I was just a fan of him.

You know, I remember just watching YouTube and seeing all these dope videos come out from the West Coast in Vancouver, Canada.

And I thought, "Man, I want one of those Stuey videos.

I need one."

So I reached out to him and he was already- he already knew what it was you know.

He'd seen that we've been making a lot of noise.

David: Okay.

Drezus: And we did a song called "Lose Control."

David: "Lose Control."

Drezus: Yeah, that was our first video we did together.

David: You and Stuey.

Drezus: Yeah, that was off the "Red Winter" album.

David: Oh, okay.

Okay, good.

Drezus: And you know, that was just kind of us just warming up.

You know, getting to know each other.

It's kind of a street oriented video a little bit.

♪ ♪ (sings) You never gonna take this from me.

♪ ♪ No telling what I do for this money.

♪ ♪ Somebody come and save my soul.

♪ ♪ Cause I'm about to lose control.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ I don't know where I'm goin'.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ I got my windows open.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ You smellin' what I'm smokin'.

♪ ♪ I don't know where I'm going but I'm going in.

♪ ♪ I had a happy family.

♪ ♪ A brand new baby, bubba.

♪ ♪ But something happened between us ♪ ♪ that made us hate each other.

♪ ♪ My world changed forever.

♪ ♪ So branded by them devils.

♪ ♪ The yelling and screaming te lling me that rap is shovel.

♪ ♪ I do it.

I does it.

♪ ♪ I force it til I love it.

♪ ♪ I'm wiling out in public sniffing til ♪ ♪ my nasal stuff it.

♪ ♪ Sitting closer to the edge than you'll ever be.

♪ ♪ My only peace is when I look back in my memories.

♪ ♪ But it hurts so I don't bother.

♪ ♪ I just crack another bottle and turn up ♪ ♪ like no tomorrow.

♪ ♪ Like, what's crackin' baby.

♪ ♪ She wanna come and see what's good.

♪ ♪ She probably think I'm tricking but ♪ ♪ I'm just misunderstood.

♪ ♪ She don't hear me, though.

♪ ♪ You're never gonna take this from me.

♪ ♪ No telling what I do for this money.

♪ ♪ Somebody come and save my soul.

♪ ♪ Cause I'm about to lose control.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ I don't know where I'm goin'.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ I got my windows open.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'.

♪ ♪ You smellin' what I'm smokin'.

♪ ♪ I don't know where I'm going but I'm going in.

♪ ♪ It's like it's sick and fast.

♪ ♪ My heartbeat is erratic.

♪ ♪ I seem to panic when I see them flashing ♪ ♪ blues and cherries.

♪ ♪ I'm usually burning berry.

♪ ♪ That purple got me scary.

♪ ♪ My life is flashing before my eyes because ♪ ♪ of what I carry.

♪ ♪ The hustler's gift and curse.

♪ ♪ Sacrificing for that work.

♪ ♪ I lived it.

I've been there.

♪ ♪ Run around me old and dirt.

♪ ♪ Funny thing I was always clean.

♪ ♪ Fresh J's and 501's.

♪ ♪ Make it hot like New Orleans.

♪ ♪ Make a big ol' creole ♪ ♪ You get it.

You got it.

♪ ♪ It was expensive profit.

♪ ♪ Expensive in the way we always had a problem.

♪ ♪ ASAP had to happen.

♪ ♪ Preaching 'bout paper in pockets.

♪ ♪ Baby, dis the boomerang effect and I don't ♪ ♪ think I'm stopping.

♪ ♪ You're never going to take this from me.

♪ ♪ No telling what I do for this money.

♪ ♪ Somebody come and save my soul.

♪ ♪ Cause I'm about to lose control.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm rollin', I'm rollin'... ♪ Drezus: In hindsight I look back and I'm thinking, "That's not really me."

David: Mm, okay.

Drezus: Because I always went through these moments in my career where I thought I had to be street because I'm a hip-hop artist.

David: Yeah, yeah.

Drezus: And like, I had to tell these stories about what I had been through.

But when it comes down to it, I'm not doing these things all day.

You know so I wanted to be true to who I was.

David: Yeah, and it's not so much the focus of your music.

It's not so much the street rap or whatever so.

Drezus: Yeah, you know it's for me my music is kind of like I'm coming to a different place in yourself where you know yourself.

You know, and you know where you're going and you know who your people are.

You know who's there for you and who's not.

David: Sure.

Drezus: You know and it's not like an outside thing, it's right here.

David: Sure, right, right.

Drezus: That's what I thought when I seen that video with Stuey, and I'm like we got to do something that connects.

You know what I mean?

So I just kept sending him new tracks and stuff like that.

David: Okay.

Drezus: I did that "Warpath" song, man.

I remember I got the beat one day from my homeboy Toolman.

David: Okay.

Drezus: Who- he's a part of Tribe Called Red.

David: Good for him though, you know?

Drezus: Yeah.

He blew up, man.

I got- I'm so proud of that guy.

But yeah, he sent me a bunch of packs of beats.

And then I heard this one beat this, "Br, br, br, br."

I'm like, "Oh, man this is hard.

What?"

It was hard, and I remember clearly sitting in the gym parking lot.

Just finished a too killer workout feeling like on point, feeling good.

David: Good.

Drezus: You know, and I threw that beat on in the car as soon as I jumped in.

And I only had it for a day, I think.

And then I was like, got those- had a rhyme already in my head from that first.

"Using all that I have risen through" You know what I mean?

David: Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Drezus: So I started writing it.

And then I was like, "Man, this is hard."

So I finished it, just in that parking lot.

David: Oh, wow.

Drezus: Just like I sat there for like two hours or something like that.

And I got on the phone with Toolman- I'm like, "Man, I got one for this."

And I said, "I don't know what to do for a hook, though."

David: Okay.

Drezus: You know on the hook is like, "Who wanna ride with me?"

You know, "Who's gonna rap?"

You know, that it was at that point, it was just one line.

David: Yeah, right.

Drezus: And that wasn't the hook at the time so I was like, "Man, I don't know what to do."

And then Toolman just sent me it back.

Just with that- just looping that one line he's like, "It sounds hard like that."

David: When it all goes down.

Drezus: ♪ "Down, who's gonna ride with me?

Uh."

♪ You know what I mean?

David: Yep.

Drezus: Going over and over and I'm like, "Yeah, that's hard."

♪ ♪ Drezus (sings): First, you should know that ♪ ♪ I have risen through the fire in colorful buckskin.

♪ ♪ The object of my desire is the color ♪ ♪ of my skin.

♪ ♪ So divided are my kin.

♪ ♪ Watch me turn the tables til we eatin' like some ♪ ♪ kings in beautiful headdresses.

♪ ♪ The culture is so impressive, ♪ ♪ I'm just hopin' I absorb it when ♪ ♪ he passing me the message.

♪ ♪ Cause baby, it's depressing living in this mess ♪ ♪ we call a home.

♪ ♪ We should take it back to chokers ♪ ♪ restin' on the collar bone.

♪ ♪ Arrowheads ride alone, the enemy likes Styrofoam.

♪ ♪ Piercing through the strongest armor.

♪ ♪ Death and genocidal deformer.

♪ ♪ Still I stand, a singular red man.

♪ ♪ With Jupiter-sized heart, forever reppin' my clan ♪ ♪ The eagle's an old man watchin' over my plans ♪ ♪ Talking real sh--, baby No fakey here for the fans.

♪ ♪ I'm shoutin' out Bobby Jones, my auntie, ♪ ♪ my Mushum George.

♪ ♪ I'm drawing all of my strengths from my people ♪ ♪ here before me, man.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

Big chief in the building everybody ♪ ♪ take your place.

(hooh!)

♪ ♪ Remove your feelings if you wanna ride with me.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

We about to go to war right now, no petty beef.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all go down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ Blessed is the man with sons who walk beside him.

♪ ♪ There's not enough leaders out there ♪ ♪ we should be ridin'.

♪ ♪ They left our people broken, but homie, ♪ ♪ don't play the possum.

♪ ♪ Learn to grow yourself, the set.

♪ ♪ Cause you can bet there's nothing promised.

♪ ♪ They sayin' I'm a problem.

♪ ♪ They call me public enemy.

♪ ♪ But they don't understand that I hold it down ♪ ♪ for my family.

♪ ♪ And I hate it when they say that I won't be sh- ♪ ♪ cause I'm Native.

♪ ♪ Cause in my mind we the strongest, ♪ ♪ we were built up for the ages.

Aye.

♪ ♪ Give me back mine 'fore I take that.

♪ ♪ You don't want that.

Where my rays at.

♪ ♪ Put them up power, the blade of the sweet grass.

♪ ♪ Put a prayer up.

♪ ♪ If you ain't gonna ride get back with your weak.

♪ ♪ No room for the weak, or the type of speech that ♪ ♪ brings us down.

♪ ♪ Need them soldiers to be strong when the bad man ♪ ♪ comes to town.

Ride out.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

Big chief in the building ♪ ♪ everybody take take your place.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

Remove your feelings if you wanna ride with me.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

We about to go to war right now, no petty beef.

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all go down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ (hooh!)

When it all goes down who's gonna ride with me?

♪ ♪ David: In "Warpath", there is the hook.

It's repeated over and over and that is, "When it all goes down, who's gonna ride with me?"

Drezus: Yeah.

David: But before that the quote that really grabbed me was, "Remove your feelings if you're gonna ride with me."

Drezus: Yeah.

David: I want to know what that means.

I have a couple of different approaches as far as what it could be but I want to know what that line means to you, where it came from.

"Remove your feelings if you're going to ride with me."

Drezus: It's basically if I got your back, have mine fully and I'll have yours fully.

David: Got you.

Drezus: You know what I mean?

David: Good.

Drezus: I now I won't- I'm not going to be sitting here's about logistics or friendships or anything like that.

If you're with me, you're with me.

David: Yeah.

Drezus: You know what I mean?

That's what that's basically all about it's just put away any past- any past perceptions, any, you know, pre-conceived notions.

David: Right.

Drezus: Put them all away.

You know because this is what I am right now.

David: Mm hm.

Drezus: You know, and it speaks to being guided by the spirit.

David: You know, incidental piddly stuff, yeah.

Drezus: That's exactly what I say.

If you look at the lyrics I say something right after that.

David: Yeah.

Drezus: Along those lines so, you know.

That was important.

That's cool that you asked me that.

David: Oh yes- well, that's what caught me and I had to pause it and hear it again.

Drezus: Mm hm.

David: And then it goes into the other part that's repeated over and over, "When it all goes down then who's gonna ride with me."

But we only get that, "Remove your feelings if you're going to ride with me," kind of near the beginning and once again towards the end.

But that's the one that struck me there.

Drezus: Yeah.

David: In "Warpath."

Drezus: What I'm basically saying is let's go.

Don't worry about- if you're with me, I'm with you.

David: Nice.

Drezus: Let's go.

David: Sweet.

Well, now one of the cool things that goes on at least with "Indian Summer", you've got a lot of cool things going into most of the tracks.

Some sort of sound effects or whatever.

Drezus: Yeah.

David: What is that going into "Solomon's Prayer?"

Drezus: Yeah, it's basically like a hand drum.

David: Okay.

Yeah, and then the person chanting or something in the background?

Drezus: That's actually Solomon.

David: Oh, okay.

Drezus: His name is Solomon.

He's a Cree elder from Maskwacis, Alberta.

I had met him through a mutual friend of mine.

David: Okay.

Drezus: Actually, no.

I shouldn't say that.

His Granddaughter- David: Okay.

Drezus: She helped me get together the Warpath video.

So she invited me down to their ranch, their ranch on the reserve and I met her whole family including her mushum.

David: Okay.

Drezus: Which means grandfather.

Mushum Solomon and I just took a really- I just took a liking to him and what he said and what he was about and his whole energy.

Because yeah, he carried that old energy.

David: Sure.

Drezus: And like that ancient, you know, type of energy.

And I thought you know this- when I was listening to him talk to me.

David: Yep.

Drezus: I was like, "This guy would be awesome."

And I asked him if we can collab basically for the album.

And I asked him if he could say a prayer for our people.

You know, and kind of using the youth as the fire keepers.

David: Okay, sure.

Drezus: So he came through and it was beautiful.

(speaks Cree) It was the first time that I actually incorporated some of my language.

David: Nice.

Drezus: Not from myself yet but it was the first time that I introduced it to my music.

David: And the rap gets a short- a very short piece to begin with.

Drezus: Mm hm.

Davis: I don't have the words in front of me so tell me about the rap that comes in after his prayer because it's in essence half him, and then you.

♪ (sings): I do this for the native boys ♪ ♪ who never had a chance.

♪ ♪ Always stepping on their hands ♪ ♪ when they tryin' to get a grasp.

♪ ♪ How he supposed to be a dad ♪ ♪ when he never had a dad?

♪ ♪ Only role model was a bottle and a bag.

♪ Drezus: When I come in, I'm mad.

You know, I think a lot of my music comes off like that because there's a piece of me that has been kind of hidden away.

David: Sure.

Drezus: My whole life, you know, and I think a lot of Native people go through that where we have these little capsules of this either fear or pain or you name it.

David: Sure.

Drezus: Just hidden pockets of these extremely passionate energies.

You know what I mean?

And I think music was my calling to release that.

David: Yeah.

Drezus: You know what I mean?

And on that rap, I speak about how basically we're set up to fail as Native youth.

David: Mm.

Drezus: You know what I mean?

And from my opinion.

David: Yeah.

Drezus: And it's basically- I speak about getting out of that and where we come from and like not having father figures, and how a lot of us looked up to people who were in the street or drinking or you know what have you.

You know what I mean?

David: Right.

Drezus: So we found, you know we found, we found our guidance through other things that weren't you know, healthy for us.

So that's basically what I talk about and I talk about breaking through that.

You know, and having a voice.

David: That goes almost goes so directly into the sequel which is the next track.

So it's not only a sequel by title but a sequel as in it follows "Solomon's Prayer" beautifully in that regard, and as far as what it's about.

You also start this one with some sort of a quote and this is me talking about the quote, not me saying this.

It's saying, "The ways of the savage, the ways you're accustomed to are over."

And, this is just the beginning of it.

But then, the sequel.

It starts off, it's a song about father and son but it truly becomes a song, I think, and a rap about generational- Drezus: Trauma.

David: Passing down.

Did I read into that right?

Drezus: Yeah you're right, absolutely.

Personally, my music I've spoken a lot about my relationship, or even the lack of relationship with my dad.

And, um- In the earlier stages of my career, I used to go really hard on him.

David: Sure.

Drezus: You know, and I don't feel like that anymore.

David: Hm, good.

Drezus: And with that song was one of the turnaround points.

David: Okay.

Drezus: And as I was in that writing process, I kind of uncovered something that like hey, maybe my dad didn't- you know, maybe he had no choice, or maybe he doesn't have any background to deal with these situations.

David: Sure.

Drezus: You know, and actually be there for me as a father.

David: Mm hm.

Drezus: You know, so it was a really, really deep you know, and I feel like my best music is when I actually go deep.

And with that, um... definitely looking into like that situation I started to realize that boarding school, residential school, the whole system of that.

That just taking the kids out of the homes, putting them in a school far away, no parents, this and that you know, you basically ghost him.

David: Wow.

Drezus: You know you ghost, you're ghosting kids and that's why there's so many lost people, I think.

But once I looked back into it I started to realize, man, they did a number on us.

David: Mm, mm.

Drezus: You know, and like I say, ♪ "You can try to confuse my pride."

♪ David: Yes.

Drezus: "But no you can't take my soul."

♪ You know what I mean?

David: Yes.

Drezus: Basically saying that, okay you took us away, cut our hair, tried to assimilate us, but I still know who I am.

David: Mm, hm.

Drezus: That's basically what I'm saying with that track.

♪ (sings) You can try to confuse my pride but no you ♪ ♪ can't take my soul.

♪ ♪ Your whole world is living a lie ♪ ♪ and yes, baby this I know, we need the truth.

♪ ♪ I need my people to know that it's on you.

♪ ♪ To take back all that we own.

We can do it, man.

♪ ♪ (Because of you) I never had my pops around, ♪ ♪ never learned... ♪