Omaha Native American artist creates unique sound blending traditional music with hip-hop

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - It’s a sound not all of us are familiar with but that’s changing.

Antoine Edwards is a local Native American singer/songwriter and artist who is proving to the world incorporating traditional music with hip-hop can be successful.

He says staying true to his roots is everything.

“It’s the way we pray, it’s the way we live, and especially being in the city we need balance, so we walk in two worlds, we have the city life and the traditional life, that a lot of people don’t know about, but, it’s my life,” says Edwards.

It’s a life filled with music and family. His mother says that’s where he gets it from.

“All his songs have some sort of connection to his culture. He sings pow wow, hand drums, ceremony, sweat, he’s a songwriter, song keeper, dancer, he’s a grass dancer,” says Annabelle Edwards.

And the awards came pouring in.

Antoine won three awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Omaha Hip Hop Awards and won the International Indigenous Hip Hop award for best R&B album in 2022. Now, he’s hoping to add to his collection when he travels to Niagara Falls for the Native American Music Awards.

“It was just different for people to hear traditional native singing. They’re not used to that and seeing us in a setting where we’re wearing the same hats they’re wearing, we look like someone they wouldn’t expect to be traditional and singing that way,” he says.

“We’re overwhelmed with happiness, we’re proud of him, we’re excited for him, and I know this is just the beginning,” says Annabelle.

“People say ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ and what we say is ‘We’ll see it when we believe it.’ That’s how I live my life,” says Antoine.

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