Photo of: Drezus / Photo supplied
By Danielle Dufour
Jeremiah Manitopyes, better known by his stage name Drezus, is a Plains Cree rapper and activist and member of the Muskowekwan First Nation. He credits the drums for saving his life and taking him out of the darkness.
His mom moved the family to Calgary where Drezus was exposed to more international influences. This gave him a different outlook and understanding of the world.
“Those kids growing up from different races, backgrounds, really helped shape who I am today and help me navigate the road that I’m on now,” said Drezus.
His late uncle exposed him to different types of music early on.
“I remember him playing stuff like U2, Rolling Stones and also LL Cool J,” said Drezus.
As a young child, he began writing hip hop music.
“It just became my escape, my safe space … where I could express myself.”
It was the Indigenous hand drum that set him on a different path.
“When I say the drum, I mean the culture, the ceremonies, the language, the prayers,” said Drezus.
He met an Elder who openly shared and taught him Anishinaabe songs and ceremonies.
“I really felt a new world open up inside of me and around me where I haven’t felt that before,” said Drezus.
Growing up in the city, Drezus felt disconnected from the culture.
“I was a little bit jealous of kids who came up in the culture who came up powwow dancing, singing … I didn’t really have that growing up,” said Drezus. “Once I met an Elder, Stone bear, who opened the door to that and openly taught me stuff, I really started to tap into a side of myself that existed before and it was so powerful.”
This new portal for Drezus led him into a healing journey he never realized he needed.
“It helped me reach places that I probably couldn’t have got to without getting in touch with the ceremonial side and the culture,” said Drezus. “That journey would lead me to thinking about sobriety.”
Drezus struggled with addictions growing up.
“Once I tapped into the culture and into the spiritual side of myself, I was able to finally decide that lifestyle wasn’t for me and wasn’t doing good things for me, so I had to make that change,” said Drezus. “The songs and the culture would be my guiding light from that point out of this darkness.”
No longer in the streets or intertwined with the system, now alcohol and hard-drug free, Drezus is nine years sober.
His new song Smudge Bowl reflects on his experiences. Drezus – Smudge Bowl
“The drum just gave me more purpose and an understanding of myself I hadn’t realized before,” said Drezus.
One of the names he was given as a child was Old Man Eagle.
“When the old man said to me, ‘Old Man Eagle, Nagamo,’ it means to sing your song. I can pinpoint it to that moment when everything changed,” said Drezus. “I felt like at that point my spirit, my wings opened up and I was ready to take flight in a different way.”
Part of his healing journey came with his involvement with Creator’s Path (https://creatorspath.ca/), an Indigenous-led youth initiative providing hands-on workshops in music, fashion and film.
Photo from Creator’s Path Facebook page
“I’ve been asked to speak in communities and speak to their youth for a long time now and I remember the first time I was asked, I was still active in addictions,” said Drezus. “It kind of forced these new thoughts into my thinking if I want to have something to offer the youth, I have to take care of myself.”
Drezus travels to communities along with creative friends who are gifted in different art forms, to inspires youth.
“We have videographers who do music videos with the kids, who teach film, we have visual artists who do murals, we even have financial literacy people, we have fashion people, silk screen workshops, we have song production,” said Drezus. “I myself do songwriting workshops.”
His workshops focus on the power of expression and how it is needed in our communities.
“A lot of that expression was taken forcefully from us,” said Drezus. “We all know about the schools and the way colonization led its course to basically silence us and silence those voices inside or else make us feel shame to share that, so I’m trying to undo that.”
Gratitude plays a big role in his life, and he encourages the youth to wake up in gratitude.
“One simple way I show gratitude in the morning when I wake up is with a smile on my face even if I don’t feel like waking up, I’ll force a smile,” said Drezus. “I’m grateful to wake up and have another day.”
He focuses on his ‘winning streak’ and said, “being able to take my kids to school today is a win, being able to write lyrics is a win, having a career I love is a win.”
Next up for Drezus is a new single he will be dropping in June.
“We’re headed to Atlanta in a couple of weeks to shoot a video,” said Drezus. “We’re also working on finishing the album which will be out late this summer. I’m speaking to what’s going on in my life right now.”