Tuesday, May 24, 2016

SlinCraze Inspires Sámi Youth with Rap Music


uscpublicdiplomacy.org

SlinCraze image from
May 19, 2016
Can rap music help make an endangered language relevant to 21st century youth? Norwegian rapper Nils Rune Utsi, known by his stage name SlinCraze, thinks so. He has been rapping in Sámi [see], an ancient Scandinavian language understood by only about 20,000 people in the world, since he was 14 years old. SlinCraze built his career by infusing rap music with traditional melodies and lyrics of the Sami language in an effort to raise awareness about his indigenous culture and heritage. As he explains, “It’s important for me to tell them [youth], ‘do not be ashamed of your culture.’ That’s my main goal…to make people proud to be a native.” 

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