Frank Waln facts for kids

Frank Waln is a talented Sicangu Lakota rapper and activist. His Lakota name is Oyate Teca Obmani, which means "Walks With Young People." He uses his music to share important messages and stories.

Frank Waln released his first solo album, Born Ready, in 2017. Another album, The Bridge, also came out that year. He has won three Native American Music Awards and has been nominated five times. These awards were for his solo work and for his group, Nake Nula Waun.

Many of Frank Waln's songs talk about important social issues for Native Americans. He grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and first started listening to hip hop music when he was a teenager. He later went to Columbia College Chicago and earned a degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics. He also received a special scholarship called the Gates Millennium Scholarship.

Early Life and Education

Frank Waln grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He discovered hip-hop music when he found an Eminem CD. As a teenager, he listened to a lot of hip-hop. He felt that the struggles African Americans sang about in their music were similar to the challenges Native Americans faced due to historical events.

In the early 2000s, he began recording music with his friends and family. He saved enough money to build his own recording studio in his basement.

Frank was a Millennium Scholar. He first studied medicine at Creighton University for two years, hoping to become a doctor. However, he soon realized that music was his true passion. He decided that music was the best way for him to make a difference in the world and earn a living. He then moved to Chicago and studied audio design at Columbia College Chicago, graduating in 2014.

Frank Waln's Music Journey

In 2010, Frank Waln started a group called Nake Nula Waun. The name means "I am always ready, at all times, for anything." His bandmates were Thomas Schmidt, Andre Easter, and Kodi DeNoyer. They released their album Scars and Bars that same year. Frank Waln won the Best Producer award at the 2010 Native American Music Awards. The band also won the Best Hip-Hop Recording award in 2011 for the same album. Their next album, The Definition, came out in 2013 and was also nominated for Best Hip-Hop Recording.

Besides working with Nake Nula Waun, Frank Waln also has a successful solo career. His song Hear My Cry, which he made with Cody Blackbird, was nominated for two Nammy awards in 2013 and won one. Another song from 2013, Oil 4 Blood, was about the Keystone XL pipeline. Policymic.com recognized him as one of '7 First Nation Rappers Crushing Stereotypes of Indigenous People Through Music'.

In 2015, Frank Waln used a sample from a Disney movie to create a song about how Native Americans are sometimes shown in movies. This song highlighted the history of colonialism and how Native Americans are often misrepresented in media. Frank Waln was also featured in the MTV documentary Rebel Music, along with Nataani Means, Mike "Witko" Cliff, and Inez Jasper.

Frank Waln released his first solo album, The Bridge, in 2017. He then released Born Ready in 2020.

Activism and Community Work

Frank Waln is well-known for his work against the Keystone XL pipeline. He also helps with the Dream Warriors scholarships. This project was started by Tanaya Winder, who manages Frank Waln and other artists like Tall Paul and Mic Jordan. The scholarships help Native American students who want to study and perform music.

Discography

Albums

• Scars and Bars (2011, with Nake Nula Waun)
• The Definition (2013, with Nake Nula Waun)
• Last Stand Mixtape, Vol. 1 (2013, a group album)
• The Bridge (2017)
• Olówan Wétu (Spring Songs) (2020)
• Born Ready (2020)
• In the Key of Lakota (2021)

Singles

• "Doubt" (2011, with Nake Nula Waun)
• "Culture Shock" (2012, with Nake Nula Waun)
• "Swagged out Brave Heart of a Lion" (2011)
• "My Stone" (2012)
• "Oil 4 Blood" (2013)
• "AbOriginal" (2013)
• "Born on the Rez" (2014)
• "2 Live & Die On the Plains" (2015)
• "What Made the Red Man Red?" (2015)
• "Good Way" featuring Gunner Jules and Rollie Raps (2016)
• "7" featuring Tanaya Winder (2016)