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Holding council

Ignacio duo makes headway in hip-hop

Growing up in Ignacio, Antonio “Tones” Herrera and Dmitri “Dreezy” Reynolds immersed themselves in rap and hip-hop, idolizing artists like Eminem, 50 Cent and T.I.

They never in their wildest dreams thought the voices coming out of their stereos would one day be featured on their tracks.

But that’s precisely what has happened to the rappers, who perform together in a group called The Council. Since winning a $25,000 recording contract contest put on by local label Culture Shock Original two years ago, The Council has recorded an album, “One Tribe One Nation,” that featured help from industry heavyweights like George Clinton, Scott Storch and Ed Stasium, and guest rhymes from T.I., The Game and Snoop Dogg. The album is available in more than 700 digital outlets, including iTunes and Spotify, and the single “Stay on Rhythm,” featuring T.I., is getting radio play across America.

Boosted by the success of the album, Herrera and Reynolds have gone on tour, heard their songs on the radio, been recognized by fans and met artists like Red Cloud. Most recently, they found out “One Tribe One Nation” has been nominated for a Native American Music Award for “Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year.” Voting is open to the public now, and the ceremony will be held Nov. 14 in New York.

Rueben Roman, co-owner of Culture Shock Original, said it has the most prestigious awards event in the Native American music world.

“This is the top one in their genre of music,” he said.

Herrera, 26, and Reynolds, 19, admit it has been a whirlwind couple of years for a couple of guys from Ignacio, and say the nomination was an unexpected honor.

“It was crazy,” Reynolds said. “I was really happy.”

The rappers knew of each other growing up, but their age difference kept them from being close friends. Each got into rap on his own. Herrera, whose brother and cousin had a rap group, first picked up a mic when he was 7, and Reynolds, who grew up playing guitar and drums, got into hip-hop seriously after a sports injury forced him to refocus his energies.

They were both doing their own projects when Culture Shock launched the recording contract contest two years ago.

Roman, a hip-hop artist who worked in the music industry before relocating to Ignacio with his wife, said he organized the Culture Shock contest as a way to give a boost to talented rappers in the area. Out of 175 submissions, he said, Culture Shock narrowed it down to Herrera and Reynolds.

“We couldn’t pick who we liked better, so we just made them a group,” he said.

Roman said the clincher came after meeting Herrera and Reynolds and realizing they are the kind of artists who could be role models.

“These two, they were just good kids,” Roman said. “I saw a lot of potential.”

When they were paired, Herrera and Reynolds said collaborating came easily.

They began writing songs immediately, and recorded their album in the back of a pawn shop in Ignacio. Their songs follow the traditions of old-school rap, featuring everything from introspective lyrics about the struggles of growing up on the reservation to straight-up braggadocio.

Making the album was a fun process, they said. And when they realized their tracks would feature artists like Snoop Dogg, it was a bit surreal.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true,” Reynolds said.

“One Tribe One Nation” was released in April 2013. Since its release, The Council has toured, watched its success grow and also participated in Culture Shock’s Community Intervention Through Music Program, which entails visiting local schools to perform and talk about their experiences of breaking out of Ignacio.

“We’re just trying to tell the kids that there are other options out there,” Herrera said. “If you get bored, you don’t have to grab a bottle.”

“You can grab a mic, or a book or a pen,” Reynolds said, adding that since he was only 17 when he signed the contract, it is easy for him to talk to students.

“I can tell them, ‘you can stay out of trouble,’” he said. “I stayed away from the drugs and bad things because I focused on my music.”

The Council is working on tracks for its next album. Both men are also working on solo projects; Herrera runs a rap battle league, and Reynolds recently came out with a mix tape, “My Lane, My Game, My Life,” under the name Dreezy.

They’re aiming high.

“I want to be more mainstream,” Reynolds said. “I want my name to be out there.”

kklingsporn@durangoherald.com

Vote for The Council

Fans of The Council can vote for them at www.NativeAmericanMusicAwards.com/vote-now.



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