Jezelle Childs-Evans grew up in Gary, Indiana, in the same neighborhood as the childhood home of the Jackson family, of Michael and Janet fame. The home was a monument to the superstar family, and its proximity to Childs-Evans, now an Appleton resident, had an influence on her choosing a career in music.
“I thought if they made it out of here, I’m going to make it out, too,” said Childs-Evans, 37, whose stage name is J25.
Representing her citizenship in the Choctaw Nation, Childs-Evans is making inroads in the Indigenous hip hop industry. She has been nominated for best female hip hop artist of the year in the International Hip Hop Awards Show.
A performance by Childs-Evans also be broadcast during the show, which runs May 22 and 23. The event will be virtual this year and shown online.
Childs-Evans started recording music at age 16 with Windy City Entertainment in Chicago. And although she didn’t start with Indigenous hip hop, she still felt the influence of her heritage visiting with family on the Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma growing up.
In 2016, she moved to Appleton, where she started focusing on making Indigenous hip hop and performing it in live shows, such as at the city’s Mile of Music festival.
“Indigenous hip hop is about to be very huge,” she said. “They’re making a lot of noise out of Canada.”
Hip Hop Awards Show organizer Chris Sharpe added: “A lot of Indigenous hip hop is really, really underground. It’s not in the limelight like Drake or others. … But to be honest, it’s really good. It’s like hip hop at the beginning. It’s more about issues like social consciousness and the environment.”
That authenticity in the messaging set to a beat is what Sharpe liked about Childs-Evans’ music.
“It’s truly a blessing from Creator,” she said about the opportunity to perform during the awards show. “I was definitely shocked. I just couldn’t believe it. But I get to represent Indigenous culture in our music. Our voices need to be heard.”
Childs-Evans discovered the awards show through friends on social media and decided to submit her work.
“I’m going to shoot my shot,” she said.
Childs-Evans gives shout-outs to several Indigenous hip hop artists from Canada who have become very popular in recent years, such as Drezus and Snotty Nose Rez Kids.
Sharpe said Drezus also will be performing in this year’s awards show.
Sharpe had helped organize the Canadian Indigenous Hip Hop Awards Show in 2015, but it will be international this year, featuring artists from all over the world, including Jamaica, India and Australia.
Other artists in the show include Indigenous Barbie from Vancouver, Def-i from Albuquerque and Buggin Malone from Milwaukee.
Childs-Evans pre-recorded her performance this year in Wisconsin that will be debuted at the awards show.
Her music uses conventional hip hop beats, but incorporates traditional Indigenous instruments, such as a flute or hand drum, as she raps about positive messages trying to uplift the reservations.
Childs-Evans also raps to bring awareness about the oil and gas pipelines near reservations having a negative effect on the environment, as well as sovereignty and about some of the Indigenous leaders, including Ada Deer of Menominee Nation, Sitting Bull of Hunkpapa Lakota and Deb Haaland, who is Laguna Pueblo and the first Indigenous U.S. secretary of the Interior.
“I try to find a beat to get the attention of the youth and I keep it traditional for the elders,” she said.
Childs-Evans also founded a record label in Wisconsin called HGM Music Group focusing on Indigenous music artists.
Through that label, she created the Indigenous hip hop group ReZtitution, featuring herself and Trent “Novel” White, 19, of Keshena, who is Menominee.
“As Indian people, we’ve always had that groove to us,” White said about hip hop. “We’ve always had that step to us, and it’s starting to pick up in popularity.”
ReZtitution is nominated for an award this year for Indigenous hip hop group with the Native American Music Awards. The date of the show is yet to be announced, but Childs-Evans also is being nominated for another award in that show for solo hip hop artist.
More information about ReZtitution, J25 and their music is online at hgmmusicgroup.com and j25inc.com.
The Indigenous Hip Hop Awards Show will be broadcast May 22 and 23 at indigenoushiphopawards.com. Tickets are $15.99.
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report For America corps member based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette covering Native American issues in Wisconsin. He can be reached at 920-228-0437 or fvaisvilas@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA.
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