Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Early Days

Quinton Nyce and Darren Metz were born in Kitamaat Village, the Haisla Nation community on British Columbia’s northwest coast (see also First Nations in British Columbia; Reserves in British Columbia). Nyce was adopted at a young age. Both grew up in large families with strong women. They lived five houses away from each other and, as kids, played basketball together and were often at each other’s homes. They discovered a shared interest in writing poetry and stories. Nyce later said, “I think writing was religious, a safe space. Kind of our escape, our haven that we’re able to go to, fall back on when times got hard or good.”

Nyce recalls his family deeply respecting their Haisla culture and traditions through dance, ceremonies, hunting and protecting and defending the land. Metz later explained, “Our family didn’t just raise us, the community raised us… We have a lot of some of our fondest memories from growing up as a kid on the Rez. We wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Early Career

Darren Metz and Quinton Nyce loved hip-hop music and were inspired by other rappers, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and E-40. In 2016, with their adopted nicknames, Yung Trybez (Nyce) and Young D (Metz), they formed a musical duo called Snotty Nose Rez Kids. They hoped the name would reflect that, while they had serious things to say, they would not take themselves too seriously. When asked about the duo’s name, Young D said, “When we first started performing, we wanted a name that would tell people who we are without having to explain it. The symbolism is that it is rough out there, but that there’s always love there too.”

Their first album was self-titled. Released in January 2017, its songs tackled difficult personal and political issues with a balance of seriousness and a sense of fun. The duo encountered interest in their music and message but also faced resistance from within the industry and some audiences to the fact that young Indigenous men were rapping. They found the strength to persevere in each other and a faith in their vision. They won fans as they played clubs across Canada.

They released their second album, Average Savage, in September 2017. They confronted the criticism of their name by writing in the album’s liner notes that, like other Indigenous people, they face racist taunts and insults. They wrote, “When we interact with these slurs, we are confronting them, deconstructing them and regurgitating them to create our own impressions that exemplify us as the strong, creative, and intelligent Savages we know ourselves to be.”

A song from the album, Skoden, received radio play across Canada. CBC listed it as one of the year’s top 100 songs. The album was short listed for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. It was also nominated for best Hip-Hop album at the 2018 Indigenous Music Awards and for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards. The duo were also nominated as Indigenous artist of the year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards.

Growing Success

After the success of Average Savage, they left their record company and signed with RPM Records. However, after creative disagreements, Snotty Nose Rez Kids decided to release their third album independently. Trapline dropped in May 2019. Its 18 songs addressed the responsibilities everyone shares to protect and preserve the land and waters for the next generation and to respect the descendants. Trapline was shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. Its popularity led to a world tour in which they performed in the US, Mexico, UK, Australia and the Netherlands.

More singles, an EP, albums and tours expanded their fan base. Their fourth album, Life After, was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize. Their fifth, I’m Good, HBU?, was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. Damn Right, a single from I’m Good, HBU?, was the basis for a music video that paid homage to moments in the Beatles’ career. It won the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Awards $20,000 Prism Prize for video of the year.

In 2024, they released their sixth album. Red Future addressed the ability to see oneself seven generations from now, which demands protecting the land and Indigenous cultures. The album’s artwork shows a pregnant First Nations woman and many of the songs speak to the importance of women and the power of matriarchy in Indigenous cultures. Like the rest of their work, the songs maintain a sense of fun to keep them accessible and digestible while also making their message a tool for learning and healing.

They suffered two setbacks in early 2025. Their East Vancouver studio burned, destroying equipment, art and their clothing store. Then, Yung Trybez and Young D learned that the CBC and APTN were withdrawing from a previous agreement to create a TV show about their childhood. Originally announced in 2024, the television show was meant to be a comedy based on a fictionalized account of their childhood. Before the withdrawal was announced, stories and scripts were in place. Yung Trybez and Young D began seeking a new home for the show.

In March 2025, Snotty Nose Rez Kids performed three songs at the televised Juno Awards. Red Future won the Juno award for Rap album/EP of the year, the first Indigenous group to win this category. In June, they embarked on a six-month cross Canada and US tour. Their concerts and records continue to offer a new narrative regarding experiences, histories and futures of Indigenous peoples while touching all who share related hopes and concerns.