Supaman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Supaman
Supaman in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Christian Parrish Takes the Gun
Also known as	Billy Ills
Origin	Crow Agency, Montana
Genres	Native American hip hop

Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, known professionally as Supaman, is a famous rapper and dancer from the Apsáalooke people. He grew up in Crow Agency, Montana. Supaman is known for mixing traditional Native American culture with modern hip-hop music. He uses his music to share important messages and inspire young people.

Supaman's Musical Journey

Supaman started his music journey by becoming a DJ in the 1990s. He was inspired by another Native American artist named Litefoot. When he was in fourth grade, Christian also began dancing at traditional powwows.

From Poetry to Rap

In elementary school, Supaman started writing poetry. Later, he began to rap. He felt that rap music helped him express the same feelings and challenges he was going through. He chose the name "Supaman" during a DJ competition. At first, he rapped in his own unique way.

Later, he had a special experience that changed his path. This experience encouraged him to live a better life and to create music with more meaning. He decided to rap about topics that were inspiring and important. He felt he was meant to create his music all by himself.

Forming a Group and Solo Success

In 2003, Supaman helped start a Native American hip-hop group called Rezawrecktion. Their first album, It's Time, won a Native American Music Award in 2005.

Since then, Supaman has released several solo albums. His song "Why?", which featured Acosia Red Elk, received a lot of attention. Another popular song is "Prayer Loop Song". In this song, Supaman uses many instruments like the drum and the flute. He also beatboxes, raps, and mixes different Native American sounds. He even made a video for this song as an audition for America's Got Talent.

Educating and Performing

Besides making music, Supaman visits schools. He teaches students about Native American history and culture. He has also performed on the live music show Wonderland on MTV.

In 2013, his music and dancing skills were featured on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Supaman often performs his music while wearing his traditional fancy dance outfit. He started doing this by accident one time when he had to perform music right after a dance show at a school. Supaman often blends spiritual ideas with his rap music. He creates all his albums himself, from writing and singing to designing the covers.

Standing Up for What's Right

Supaman supports important causes. He often visited Standing Rock to perform and speak during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. He appeared in a music video called "Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL" with MAG7 and Taboo. This video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message in 2017.

Supaman has won many awards for his work as a DJ, singer, rapper, and dancer. These include the Tuney Award, which he won seven times, the Aboriginal Peoples Music Choice Award, and the North America Indigenous Music Award.

Recent Albums

In January 2018, Supaman released his fifth album, Illuminatives. In May 2021, he released another album called 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)