Song Of The Day 12/26/2012: Nuuk Posse - "Oqariartuut (The Message)"

Since I haven't been off the North American continent in 27 years, I frequently amuse myself by web-searching for seemingly incongruous combinations with the formula (region) + (style). Such as, oh I dunno, "Greenland" + "hip hop." Surprise!

Nuuk Posse is Greenland's original Inuit hip hop crew, rockin' the mean streets of Sermersooq since 1984. They rap primarily in Greenlandic, with only an occasional sojourn into English and the mother country's tongue, Danish. This track is from the '90s, and is actually quite compelling. The old-school beats work well with this sort of meditative message. Whatever it is.

NP is Greenland's most recognizable and honored hip hop crew, and the source for all Greenlandic hip hop that came after them. My understanding is that subsequent hip hop groups from Greenland were a bit more controversial. Well, as controversial as can be on a giant island that's 80% ice, and was still a primitive society less than a century ago. You don't want to tick off the traditionalists.