Frank Waln facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Waln
Frank Waln in 2015
Born	(1989-08-02) August 2, 1989 (age 35) Rosebud Sioux Reservation, South Dakota, U.S.
Nationality	Sicangu Lakota
Occupation	Rapper songwriter producer engineer
Years active	2010–present
Musical career
Genres	Hip hop
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards
Associated acts	Supaman

Frank Waln is a talented Sicangu Lakota rapper and activist. His Lakota name is Oyate Teca Obmani, which means "Walks With Young People." He released his first solo album, Born Ready, in 2017, and The Bridge in the same year. Frank Waln has won three Native American Music Awards and received five nominations. He earned these awards both as a solo artist and with his group, Nake Nula Waun.

Many of Frank Waln's songs talk about important social issues for Native American people. He grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and started listening to hip hop when he was a teenager. He later graduated from Columbia College Chicago with 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 first 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 challenges faced by African Americans in their music were similar to the struggles of Native Americans.

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

Music Career

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

In 2015, Frank Waln used a sample from the song "What Made the Red Man Red?" from Disney's 1953 film Peter Pan. This film is known for showing Native Americans in a very stereotypical way. Frank Waln used this sample in his own song with the same title. His song talked about the history of how Native Americans have been treated and how they are often shown incorrectly in movies and 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. 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)