BIO

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Flagboy Giz is a musician, cultural performer, beadworker, producer, audio engineer, writer, and MC from New Orleans, Louisiana, whose work is changing the way the world sees—and hears—Black culture in the South. Whether on stage, in the studio, or in full regalia on the streets of New Orleans, Flagboy Giz brings the vibrant traditions of his ancestors into today’s world with fearless creativity and unmatched authenticity.

For over a decade, Flagboy Giz has been a member of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Black Masking Indians, one of the most historic and celebrated tribes in New Orleans. The Black Masking Indians (also known as Mardi Gras Indians) are a unique cultural group formed in the city’s Black neighborhoods, where African American communities blended ancestral West African traditions, Native American influences, resistance to oppression, and a deep sense of neighborhood pride into their own celebratory form: sewing elaborate suits by hand, chanting and drumming in the streets, and reclaiming space in a city that often excluded them.

The Wild Tchoupitoulas rose to international prominence in the 1970s, when The Meters and The Neville Brothers—two legendary New Orleans funk bands—brought their music to the world stage. Today, Flagboy Giz carries that torch, using his platform to share the sounds, stories, and soul of Mardi Gras Indian culture with a new generation.

His music is rooted in this sacred tradition and fused with the sounds of his city: West African rhythms, funk, brass band music, hip-hop, bounce, and street chants. His 2021 debut album, Flagboy of the Nation, introduced his dynamic sound to the world, blending traditional elements with modern energy. In 2022, his album I Got Indian in My Family pushed that sound further, featuring none other than legendary producer Mannie Fresh. That project positioned Flagboy Giz not only as a cultural torchbearer, but as a sonic innovator bridging the past and future of Black New Orleans.

His breakout single, “We Outside,” released in 2022, became an anthem in New Orleans and beyond. It amassed over 1 million views on YouTube and 1.5 million streams across platforms. In a groundbreaking moment for New Orleans street culture, the song was licensed by the NFL for use in Super Bowl 59, exposing millions to the spirit of the backstreets.

Flagboy Giz has performed on some of the most iconic stages in the country, including:

• Essence Festival (Main Stage)

• Lil Wayne’s Weezyana Fest

• Red Bull Street Kings

• New Orleans Pelicans Halftime Show

• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

• French Quarter Festival 2025 (Featured Artist)

His talent and impact have earned him national recognition. He has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, and countless press outlets. In February 2023, he became the cover star of OffBeat Magazine, the definitive voice on New Orleans music and culture. That same year, he took home multiple honors at the OffBeat Awards, including:

• Best Album

• Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album

• Best Bounce Artist

In 2024, he was selected to represent the Louisiana/Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy (the organization behind the GRAMMYs) at the 2024 Grammy Awards, further solidifying his role as a national cultural ambassador for New Orleans.

Flagboy Giz’s creativity extends far beyond music. He is a self-taught audio engineer, video director, and writer who has been producing and engineering his own work since his high school years at Warren Easton, where he is a proud member of the school’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.

While studying at the University of New Orleans, he partnered with acclaimed visual artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums to form the 2Cent Collective, a youth-driven creative movement focused on art, media, and social change. Their work was showcased at Art Basel, one of the most prestigious art festivals in the world, where Giz’s original beadwork—created using traditional Mardi Gras Indian techniques—was featured alongside contemporary fine art.

His artistic excellence has attracted attention from the highest levels of pop culture. In 2022, Flagboy Giz collaborated with Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler on Marvel’s Black Panther 2, contributing to the film’s costume design department. The following year, he brought his talents to Broadway, working behind the scenes on the celebrated revival of The Wiz, merging ancestral artistry with modern theater on one of the biggest stages in the world.

In 2024, Flagboy Giz received a Proclamation from the City of New Orleans, presented by Councilwoman Lesli Harris, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to music, art, and cultural preservation.

At every step, Flagboy Giz embodies what he calls a “backstreet culture”—a culture born from exclusion, shaped by resilience, and carried through rhythm, stitching, and spirit. For him, every lyric, beat, and bead tells a story that connects generations and celebrates identity.

Flagboy Giz isn’t just keeping tradition alive—he’s elevating it, amplifying it, and transforming it into something the world has never seen before.

If you’ve never heard of Mardi Gras Indian culture before, let Flagboy Giz be your introduction. If you’ve never felt the pulse of a New Orleans second line, let his music move you. If you’ve never seen a young Black artist redefine legacy in real-time—watch him work.