Scott Kalama (Blue Flamez)

Born: Not available 

Gender or Pronouns:

Tribe(s): Warm Springs

Instrument(s): Vocal, Rap

Role(s): hip hop artist; video producer, video artist

Years active: Not available        

Credited with: Native American Music Awards (NAMA) Best Video 2016 for Rez Life; multiple NAMA nominations; In 2024, Scott was awarded a Fields Fellowship by the Oregon Community Fund worth $ 150,000 over two years.

Honors & Awards: Not available

Associated with: Not available

Discography: Not available

Genre(s): Hip hop, traditional

Biography

“Scott Kalama, known as rapper Blue Flamez, (was) nominated for five categories (in 2022). His song Blessed (was) nominated for best pop recording and best hip-hop recording.

“’When I saw the nomination, I thought ‘whoa all these albums got nominated, I’m so thankful,’ said Kalama. ‘I really am thankful to all my mentors. My journey in music has been well-guided.’

“Blue Flamez’s song Game Time, featuring musical artist Kaos, (was) nominated for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, and he is up for two video awards, Best in Animation Video for Warrior, featuring animator Tanaya Winder, and Best Rap/ Hip-Hop Video for his song Relentless Flow.

“His songs feature a classic rap beat, and his words are often inspired by the community he grew up in and still works and lives in. ‘I’m constantly inspired by my family, my community,’ said Kalama, ‘I’m trying one day to provide a better life for my family, for my people. I want to give back to Warm Springs.’

“When he’s not working on his music, Kalama works as a certified suicide prevention specialist with Warm Springs Prevention Services. He focuses on youth. ‘The youth really inspire me to keep going,’ said Kalama.

“Kalama says that finding music saved him, and he hopes it can help others too. ‘I found my sobriety through my music,’ said Kalama. ‘I try to always have a message, to be positive, because that’s what I want for my people. You can focus on the problems, poverty, alcoholism. I want to talk about healing, focus on the good, sobriety, spirituality.’” (Source: Warm Springs represents in Native American Music Awards – Madras Pioneer, Feb 2022)

About Rez Life: “Scott Kalama AKA Blue Flamez, has been a mentor in training with the music empowerment program Beats Lyrics Leaders, and on this track youth from the program join Scott to tell the world about life on the Indian Reservation, strictly from their perspective. It’s a hard-core West Coast hip hop song reminiscent of Too Short, punctuated with flute, drumming and Native humor. The five minute music video draws on footage from all over the Pacific Northwest, keeping with a cultural vibe that could only exist somewhere between contemporary West Coast hip hop and thousands of years of Indigenous wisdom and history.

“Lead artist Scott Kalama says, ‘The most significant thing about this project to me is the message in the lyrics, which tell the truth of reservation life and the situations we as a people are living. I love how the video shows us in a fun, positive atmosphere.’”(Source: bandcamp)

Performances

Tribal Information

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Wasco, Warm Springs, Paiute tribes

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs website

Treaty of 1855

Warm Springs Indian Reservation (Wikipedia)

Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution (the Supremacy Clause)

“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”