I went and saw Beat Nation at the Vancouver Art Gallery this weekend. And it was absolutely amazing. Hip Hop and social critique is my jam, as is thoughts of resistance and anti-colonialism through art and music. I’ve always been interested in what the kids are saying. I believe that young people have a voice that is too often overlooked, but this voice has strength and it has colour and it has beauty. The fact that this exhibit devotes a huge space for this voice is so positive. There is aggression in the works on display and there is serious power in them too. There is nothing passive about it. It is bright and in your face and unapologetic and deserves to be taken seriously. Everyone needs to see this exhibit and realize that urban indigenous youth are diverse, multi-faceted and above all, they are talented as fuck.