Night Shield Looking Forward To Experience

By Sasha Ulvestad
Dakota Journal Staff Writer

Sioux Falls – A Lakota Sioux man who grew up on the Rosebud Reservation is making a name for himself in the music world.

Gabriel Night Shield, CEO of Night Shield Entertainment in Sioux Falls, found out last Sunday that he has been nominated for a Native American Music Award, or Nammy, as the award is popularly known. His album, “Kataztrophik”, is a nominee in the Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording Category.

Night Shield said he was cruising the NAMA website last Sunday checking out the nominees. He was thrilled that he turned out to be one of those nominees.

“I’m pretty excited,” he said. “Just to go down there and meet all the people that move that scene…even if I don’t win, I’m in Florida.”

Growing up on the reservation, Night Shield spent time soaking up the work of artists like Tupac Shakur and Bone Thugs N Harmony. In high school, he wrote poems and short stories that made him a small time celebrity in his community.

After graduating high school in 1997, he attended the Art Institute of Seattle to study Audio Production. During his time in Seattle, Night Shield networked within the music business, making contacts that would help him out a few years down the road. He also spent time recording his own music.

While in Seattle, he became friends with fellow students Cin’atra (aka David Lee) and Overflow (aka Jagger Gestson) who are both now part of the Night Shield Entertainment family. They, along with Night Shield, compose Triple Crown, although they are all solo rappers in their own right as well. They have each released solo albums in the last year.

Night Shield moved to Sioux Falls in 2000 and in the last few years, he and company have become well known in Sioux Falls.

In 2002, his song with Shayla Day, “Ride With Me”, was the number one music download in South Dakota. The company also released three compilations in three years – “The Nation Compilation” in 2001, “The Hostile Takeover” in 2002 and “Savage Alliance” in 2003.

Night Shield will find out whether or not his album wins a Nammy on Feb. 10 in Hollywood, Fla. He can be seen in action on Jan. 14th at the Oaks Hotel during the Sioux Falls Hip Hop Festival.