Ep.37 | Hip Hop Artist Nataanii Means

For episode 37, co-hosts Nicole Watson and Yvette Fielder welcome hip hop artist Nataanii Means (Oglala Lakota, Diné, Omaha) to the Mesa studio. Nataanii shares his journey from the Navajo Reservation to becoming a successful musician, and explains how hip hop fits squarely in the Indigenous tradition of storytelling.

In addition to his music, Nataanii has been active in helping Native youth, and stepped up when the recent government shutdown cut off SNAP benefits for those in need. Nicole and Nataanii grew up in the same town, so it's like a conversation with old friends. You can hear his new album on January 8th, 2026, but he's releasing singles regularly in the mean time. Check out where to find him at the bottom.

This is our last installment of our Native American Heritage Month series. But don't worry - we'll be back in December with new content. Please make sure to subscribe - and tell your friends!

Nataanii Means |
https://nataaniimeans.com/

Chapters

• 1:01 Intro
• 2:34 Meet Nataanii
• 5:23 Influences
• 7:07 Writing Leads to Hip Hop
• 11:12 Rapping about the Res
• 16:20 Goals
• 18:23 Advice to Your Younger Self and Working with Youth
• 24:57 Stepping Up During the Government Shutdown
• 29:12 Business Advice for Creatives
• 35:00 What's Upcoming for Nataanii
• 37:00 Challenges of Marketing a Native Artist
• 45:26 Busting Stereotypes
• 49:31 How to Find Nataanii and Wrap Up