His performance displayed a balance between honoring native heritage and values and living in a modern society.

"Somebody say respect," he said, with the students calling back the word, followed by "honor," "kindness" and "love."

For as upbeat as the tempo was, he was quick to change the topic to more serious matters, like racism, alcoholism and poverty. He asked students to return to their seats so he could share his background and explain some of the issues Native Americans face.

He told students that he was raised on the Crow Indian Reservation by alcoholic parents.

"My parents went to party, and they'd leave me and my brother in the house for days at a time without any food in the house," he said. "There was a stash of commodity of peanut butter in the cupboard, and when my cousins came over to play, we wouldn't let them eat it because that was dinner for that night."

He said he was surrounded by drama and chaos.

"Can you repeat that?" he asked the audience.

"Drama and chaos," the students responded, listening as much as when he was rapping.