Past, Present, and Resistance: An Interview with Tufawon on Gradient and Minneapolis скачать в хорошем качестве

Past, Present, and Resistance: An Interview with Tufawon on Gradient and Minneapolis

I interviewed Tufawon, Minneapolis-based artist and activist, about his latest EP Gradient, a project that feels personal, political, and deeply rooted all at once. We talked about the meaning behind the title first. A gradient is transition. It’s movement between shades, between identities, between histories and futures. It reflects the idea that Indigenous identity isn’t one fixed narrative. It exists across spectrums, culturally, spiritually, historically. Before colonization, Indigenous communities were trading, innovating, influencing one another. That complexity didn’t start or end with colonization. He connects that idea to elasticity ,the ability to stretch under pressure and still return to form. Indigenous communities have endured forced assimilation, displacement, cultural repression. But elasticity means survival without losing essence. It means carrying ancestral teachings into contemporary spaces like Hip Hop and R&B without asking permission or watering anything down. Gradient was entirely self-produced, not just through beats but with live instrumentation. The sound blends Hip Hop, R&B, and Native musical elements in a way that feels organic, not decorative. As a Dakota and Boricua man with Taíno heritage from South Minneapolis, that fusion isn’t branding. It’s lived experience. We also spoke about what’s happening right now in Minneapolis. Immigration enforcement continues to destabilize families. The organizing that grew during the 2020 uprising didn’t disappear. Mutual aid networks are still active. Rapid response teams are trained to document ICE presence. Legal defense funds are operating. Communities are showing up for each other in very practical ways. All profits from Bandcamp sales of Gradient are being donated to on-the-ground efforts fighting ICE. But support goes beyond streaming music. People can help by: Purchasing the EP directly on Bandcamp so funds go straight to organizers Donating to local immigrant defense and bail funds Volunteering with rapid response networks Offering concrete support to affected families — childcare, rides to court, groceries Educating themselves about local policies and attending city meetings Amplifying Indigenous and immigrant voices responsibly At its core, Gradient is about continuity. Indigenous existence across time past, present, future. It refuses to let colonial narratives define identity or limit possibility. TUFAWON:   / tufawon     / tufawon   http://tufawon.bamdcamp.com FOLLOW US:    / poisonedrock     / poisonedrockofficial     / poisonedrockofficial