Joining us from Oklahoma City are brothers, rappers and actors known as Lil Mike and Funny Bone, who received national recognition after their viral performance on America’s Got Talent in 2013 where they showcased their Indigenous heritage through their original rap song “Do The Rain Dance” that wowed the judges and audiences alike. 

As of last fall, the pair have recurred as the equally hilarious and talented brothers Mose and Mekko on the hit FX on Hulu comedy series Reservation Dogs which, while snubbed at the Emmys, won the AFI Award, Independent Spirit Award, Peabody Award and Gotham Award for its premiere season. The two chat with us about their initial rejection for America’s Got Talent, and the eventual straight offer to appear on the show nearly a decade ago, as well as their experience working on Reservation Dogs and the series’ immense impact for Indigenous representation in entertainment.

It was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that the two first received word about the upcoming series pilot casting from their managers after their concert tour dates were canceled and they were on the lookout for their next booking. They shared that after looking at the script, the characters were not what they initially expected, “They were eleven-year old kids!” Lil Mike shared. “Their lines had cuss words in them, so we asked ‘can we change this up a little? And these jokes aren’t really funny enough.’ And [casting] said ‘make it your own!’” And they did exactly that, asking their brother to read the other lines and send in their audition tape to casting, and quickly received an offer.

To find out more of their journey with Reservation Dogs, watch the full interview above, or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

Reservation Dogs streams new episodes Tuesdays on Hulu under the FX on Hulu content hub.