| War Party | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Hobbema, Alberta, Canada |
| Genre: | Canadian hip hop First Nations music |
| Years Active: | 1995 — 2004 |
| Associated Acts: | RezOfficial Big Slim |
| Current Members: | Rex Smallboy Hellnback Big Stomp |
War Party is a Cree hip-hop group from Maskwacis, Alberta.[1] Its founding members are Rex Smallboy and Ryan Small. The members are ex-wife Cynthia, Karmen "Hellnback" Omeasoo, Bryan Omeosoo and Tom Crier.[2] The band's music combines rap rhythms with aboriginal themes and stories.[3]
War Party was founded in 1995 by Rex Smallboy and Ryan Small. Three others later became involved.[4] The group won the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Rap Album in 2001, and was nominated again in 2002 and 2003.[5] [6] As well, they were the first First Nations rap group to have a music video aired on Much Music.
War Party performed and recorded together for twelve years.[7] The group then disbanded; Hellnback and Big Stomp of the group went on to form RezOfficial.
The band's song "This Land Was Ours" is featured in Ari Gold's 2008 film Adventures of Power.