Flagboy Giz is an innovative musician, internationally-celebrated bead artist, member of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Black Masking (Mardi Gras) Indian tribe, music producer, audio engineer, writer, and MC. Flagboy Giz brings together old-school Cash Money-flavored rap, contemporary hip hop, and the Mardi Gras musical canon in a fresh and updated sound. His unique stylings, street sensibilities, and artistic prowess made an immediate connection with audiences and critics across the board.
A fifth-generation New Orleanian, Flagboy Giz (pronounced with a soft G), born Aaron Hartley, was raised in the Ninth Ward, graduated from UNO in 2011, and spent a decade as a hotel bellman while honing his music chops. During that time, he joined the venerable Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indian tribe and began a deep dive into the Black Masking Indian culture, especially the music and the intricate beadwork required to make a suit each year. He also partnered with acclaimed visual artist Brandan “Bmike” Odums to form the creative movement 2Cent Collective, and their work, including Giz’s original beadwork, was showcased at Art Basel in Switzerland, elevating Mardi Gras Indian beading techniques to the level of fine contemporary art.
His 2021 debut album, Flagboy of the Nation, introduced audiences to his blend of classic tunes like “Shoo Fly” and “Tu Pocky Way” with rapped lyrics and modern synthesizers, while his take on post-Katrina gentrification, “Gentri Fire in the City” struck a chord in New Orleans and beyond, both for its commentary and its accompanying video, with Giz in full Indian regalia, celebrating the visual as well as the aural heritage he embodies.
He followed up quickly: his 2022 sophomore effort, I Got Indian in My Family, was produced by the legendary Mannie Fresh and contained his breakout single, “We Outside.” “We Outside” became an instant local classic and amassed over one million views on YouTube. The tune was licensed by the NFL for use in Super Bowl 59, an overdue recognition of backstreet culture by the mainstream media and a nod to Flagboy Giz’s talent. His third album, the 2023 Disgrace to the Culture, sharpens his voice to address themes of Black heritage and racism amidst the city’s Carnival culture with tunes like “Drummin with the Pilgrims.” He told The New York Times, “I want the outside world to know that Mardi Gras ain’t just some floats,” he said. “We started this because we weren’t allowed to go to Mardi Gras. We had to come up with our own traditions, and the fact that we have gone through so much as Black people and we still got these traditions going strong, it’s incredible.”
Flagboy Giz is a high-demand artist who has performed at the Essence Festival, L’il Wayne’s Weezyana Fest, French Quarter Fest, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He’s graced the cover of Offbeat magazine and been featured on CNN and in the New York Times, and performed at the New Orleans Pelicans halftime show. In his short career he has already amassed a shelf-load of honors and awards, including Best of the Beat awards for Best Album, Best Rap/Hip Hop Album, and Best Bounce Artist. He represented the Louisiana/Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy at the 2024 Grammy Awards, further solidifying his role as a national cultural ambassador for New Orleans. He has also collaborated on Broadway productions and film, including costume design for Marvel’s Black Panther 2 and The Wiz.
