KEEPING IT REAL

Christian rappers Lil’ Mike & Funny Bone on Staying True to Their Faith by Lauren Winfield

ACTORS AND RAPPERS LIL’ MIKE & FUNNY

BONE are the epitome of a dynamic duo—slinging rhymes, cracking jokes, and sharing their testimony with whoever will listen.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, the brothers describe themselves as “two natives who put a positive spin on the rap game.” Their talent and charm have earned them recognition from fans across the country, first as performers on America’s Got Talent in 2013, and more recently as scene stealers in FX’s breakout comedy hit Reservation Dogs, which follows the lives of four native teens in Oklahoma.

It’s a platform Mike and Bone don’t take for granted.

Born in 1980, Mike grew up with two parents who took him and Bone, who came along five years later, to the Native American Southern Baptist Church; the family are members of the Pawnee tribe. But by age ten, Mike describes himself as being a “problem child.” He had endured abuse from his father, leading to bouts of depression and thoughts of suicide. “I was raised with a really strict father,” he says, “and he was very abusive verbally, physically, mentally. I ran from home many times, trying to get away from that madness.”

Searching for answers, Mike joined a gang around age twelve. His pledge only lasted a year. It ended when one of his close friends died from gangrelated violence.

Concerned for her son, Mike’s mother saw an opportunity to help. She took him to a concert headlined by Christian rap group Gospel Gangstaz. “With the testimonies from the Gospel Gangstaz, and then hearing that kind of music, I was like, ‘I want what they got.’ That gave me a new purpose to follow Christ,” Mike remembers.

Five years younger than Mike, Bone was a little too young to follow his brother into gang life at the time. Instead, Mike coached Bone to hone his talent for rapping and telling jokes instead. They joined together in 1997 and began to perform wherever they found a stage: clubs, churches, penitentiaries, retirement homes. No matter where they went, they made sure the experience reflected their values: no alcohol, faith-based music, and a whole lot of fun.

Mike and Bone pride themselves on being exactly who they are, whether they’re at home, on stage, or on set. When they auditioned for Reservation Dogs, they saw a few things in the show that ran counter to their values—and they spoke up. “When we saw the script, we wanted to clean it up. And the director was cool enough to be flexible with our beliefs to not want to cuss,” says Bone. “We like to be living examples of what we speak about in our music.”

That’s more important to the brothers than ever. After decades of honing their talent and sharpening their faith, more eyes are on them than ever before. “We’re hearing people on social media see their story in Reservation Dogs. It’s pretty awesome.”

When you can see yourself in someone else’s story, that builds a bridge to empathy and understanding. It’s something Mike and Bone can see in their faith and in their native heritage. “In the Indigenous community, a lot of the beliefs line up with the Word: to be thankful in all things, to pray in all things, and respect your elders. It lines up with the Bible,” Bone explains. This bridge smooths the path for the brothers, who work hard to practice their faith and share it with others inside their native community, but also outside of it.

“We want to inspire other people to be bold for Christ and to use whatever they’re blessed with, says Bone. “Just take the first step. Use what you have. That’s basically all we’re doing: we’re just using what we have.”

To keep up with Lil’ Mike & Funny Bone’s latest projects, follow them on social media.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Put your phone in Camera mode and hover over this code to hear more of Lil’ Mike & Funny Bone’s story!