Red Slam Collective an indigenous Hip Hop soulrock fusion band provides Urban Arts Workshops in slam poetry; collective rap compositions and recording; graffiti arts and break dancing to children, youth and intergenerational communities in both urban and rural settings.

Our music and movement whose music uplifts, self-identifies and promotes unity through Spoken, Lyricism which Arranges Meaning (SLAM). The group is comprised of young poets, songwriters, rappers, musicians, composers, and vocalists: John Hupfield aka MC 7th Son Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nations; Mahlikah Awe:ri,aka MC AngelHeart Afro-Native of Mohawk and Mik’maw First Nations from Nova Scotia; Miles Turner Six Nations Mohawk; Isaac Llacuachaqui aka Riverwalker, Native, Spanish, Black Inca ancestry from Peru; Yusei Ota, Tokyo Japan and ally to the Ainu. Jav Bravo from Mexico of Aztec Ancestry on Percussion; Will Charbonneau on Bass, Paul Casterodale on Sax and Cree hip hop culturalist Rawn Razor. The Red Slam Movement started back in the fall of 2008 after a 12 week Slam Poetry Workshop series facilitated by Mahlikah Awe:ri at the On-U Youth Program, located at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto. In 2009 with support from the Toronto Urban Aboriginal Strategy fund and the OAC Access & Career Development Grant the collective began professional development recording workshops with award winning recording artists Digging Roots.

In 2010 with support from OAC Word of Mouth Travel Grant, Red Slam began the DissemiNation Tour performing live in cities like Toronto, Port Credit, Kingston, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Brantford, in venues like The Gladstone Hotel, Dundas Square and Victoria Island; and on live radio in Montreal and Ottawa; Headlining at Regent Park Film Festival, Mayworks Festival, Maanjidowin The Gathering, and the 11th Annual ImagineNative Film & Media Festival at Lee’s Palace where they opened for Native American Soul Singer Martha Red Bone. In addition to appearances at the 2011 NXNE Music Festival and the Home and Native Sound Music Series.

Our current community arts engagement partners include:
Art Starts, Art City, Association for the Development of Native Visual Artists and Performers, TDSB Aboriginal Education Centre, Ontario Arts Council Aboriginal Artists in the Schools Program, Reztore Pride, Sagaty.

Toronto "The Meeting Place" brings together diverse people and artistic forms of expression. At the core and sometimes forgotten is the indigenous foundations to art in an urban setting. Art and community for us is about honoring the artistic traditions of the Anishnawbe, Mississauga, and Haudenonshaunee of this region through a youthful contemporary artistic context. As indigenous urban artists we want to build a new scene which is inspired by the shared visions of community mobilization between diverse and indigenous youth across the city.