Snotty Nose Rez Kids' Long-Awaited Red Future Earns Three Juno Nominations, Major Stage at Awards

Snotty Nose Rez Kids have waited more than three years to release Red Future, but the Haisla rap duo is seeing that patience pay off. The album has earned them three Juno Award nominations, including Rap Album of the Year, and a performance slot at the March 30 awards show in Vancouver—their home city.

The group, made up of Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce and Darren "Young D" Metz, says this year’s Junos will be a special moment, not just for their music, but for the community that has supported them from the start.

"Performing in Toronto at the 2022 Junos was amazing, but this is different," Metz said. "Being able to do what we do in front of our hometown—it just hits different."

Breaking Barriers in Rap and Indigenous Music

Alongside their Rap Album of the Year nomination, the duo is in the running for Rap Single of the Year for BBE (Big Braid Energy) and Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year.

While many might assume the Indigenous category is a natural fit, Metz sees the rap category nominations as a long-overdue milestone.

"This should have happened years ago," he said. "We make music for a certain demographic of people, and the way we represent them—we take that very seriously."

The Journey to Red Future

The duo, originally from Kitimaat Village in northern B.C., originally planned to release Red Future in 2021. But the COVID-19 pandemic shifted their priorities, leading them to release two other projects first—Life After, reflecting post-pandemic realities, and I'm Good, HBU?, a statement of resilience.

"Now, with Red Future, we’re looking forward," Nyce explained. "It’s about Indigenous futurism, Indigenous excellence, and telling the stories that haven’t been told before."

The album features 12 Indigenous artists, including Tia Wood, Dreezus, and Travis Thompson, a move Metz says was intentional.

"We wanted to have as many Indigenous voices as we could," he said. "We all come from the same place, but we all have different points of view."

Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation

Growing up with limited access to Indigenous artists, due to slow internet and lack of representation in mainstream hip-hop, the duo sees their success as part of something bigger than themselves.

"We didn’t have a lot of opportunities to showcase what we were capable of in Vancouver," Nyce said. "So we created those opportunities ourselves."

That drive has taken them from small venues to Canada’s biggest music stage—and on March 30, they’ll perform at the Junos, proving that Red Future was well worth the wait.