I can't really explain what the Alaska element of music is because if you're not from Alaska,
you wouldn't get it, you know? You hear about like real shit that's going on in Alaska,
not like bear hunting or hunting or rafting. It's like normal city shit. It's hip hop.
You can be a rapper in Brooklyn and it's accepted. If you're from Alaska and a rapper, people
automatically assume you should be like working on the slope, or like on an oil rig, like
doing something else with your time. I think people see it as a waste of time. I was Alkota,
the kid from South Anchorage who makes beats, you know?
Making it would have been like a major deal. Making it in the hip hop industry, if someone
signs a deal, gives you an advance, puts your CD out on a national level. It gets heard
by potentially millions of people. I think that was like the idea of making it. When
I was working with Arctic Flow Records, these guys are like my idols, like local, like I'm
looking up to them, like "Yeah, they're so dope" but now I'm working with them. I feel
like that was ... That was probably like one of the coolest things, just being part of
a movement, like you feel like you’re involved in something. Like you honestly believe that
they're about to pop off, cause they were like touring. Going into York, recording albums
like having their shit mixed by Big Lou, who mixed The Shook Ones for Mobb Deep. Going
to LA. Touring in Europe. Going to Amsterdam. They were, they were grinding, like they were
actually like about to pop off.
So as a fan, you would, uh, you would believe that. You would believe in their movement
because Alaska is so isolated, you know, so like to be part of a movement or potentially
something that's going to escalate into something maybe national, like put your hometown on
the map, being from a small town. That's pretty big, you know? You win over a lot of support.
That's why they had so many fans.
Over time, people started to get older, shit didn't pan out like it was supposed to. Things
weren't materializing the way that you think they're going to.
So what I'm going to
show you guys today, this is a 1700 square foot house. It was built in 1946. Remodeled
in 2009. Um, the cool thing about this house is that it's on a bluff overlooking like the
bike path and a park, so you never have any neighbors behind you. Um, you get a view of
kinda the downtown sunset. Um, and the cool thing ... Another cool thing about it is it
has this really big two car garage detached in the back, so that's pretty awesome.
Most definitely love rapping. I don't do it as much as I used to, anymore, and I've been
trying to figure out why. In our early twenties, we were like traveling the world, like we
went to Amsterdam, New York, LA. I mixed my first album in Unique Studios in Times Square,
like doing it, like really doing it all over the world and getting love everywhere we went.
The thing that kind of slowed it down overtime was just the fact that, you know, we came
back and lived here. Second bedroom here.
Life takes over, and I either had to leave everything that I had and go somewhere else
to where I could spread the music, or stay here and be a dad and a husband, you know?
That was kind of like the decision that I had to make. Decide between your family and
your, your career and your dream, basically.
You're going to catch stigmatism from being from Alaska. There's no way around that cuz
there's no Alaskan rapper out there that's made it, you know. So that's going to be a
big thing when one does, you know.
907's own ...SkyDiv. 907's own ... Arctic Flow, Arctic Flow.
I'm sleeping ladies baby. These city streets are what raised me. Out here riding filthy,
chasing gravy since the 80's. Said I'm sleeping ladies baby. These city streets are what raised
me. I've been riding filthy, making gravy since the 80's. Tryin to get up, get out,
get some. Yeah.
Walter Payton's eyes, I'm in the backfield, I can't stand still, I'm bout to come up. Yeah. Hold up, what. What we I do that for? Why would I hold up the flow? Let it pour.
Seeping in, creeping up out of my pores. Hoffing the defense so we don't get bored. Coughing
the keif like we was on tour. Oh that's your people, I wasn't too sure. Even that blood
it don't even be pure. Swerve. Curve. Selling hella herb. Let that fella work. Get back
boy, before I go berserk. Ain't shit sweet, I don’t like dessert. Rep that turf, I'm
from that soil. Slow boy rich, I don't need that oil.
907's own, heaven's own, ain’t been gone, I just ain't been on, but it been too long,
gotta get em that bomb. Fucking with the kids, young Keez, we one, gone, get up, get out,
get some. Folks round town want to know bout me, bout where I'm from, bout where I been,
bout if I'm done. Fuck
Arctic Flow, coldest spit, TSD that's family bitch. When the handle shit, I'm like Pistol
Pete. See the lane, crystal clear. This adheres to the ear. Walking with God I aint got no
fear. Half my squad got caught, ten years, can't shed no tears, hold it down right here.
Fuck it. 907's own. 907's own. I'm sleeping ladies
baby. These city streets are what raised me. Out here riding filthy, chasing gravy since
the 80's. Said I'm sleeping ladies baby. These city streets are what raised me. I've been
riding filthy, making gravy since the 80's. Tryin to get up, get out get some. Get up,
get out, get some. Get up, get out, get some. Get up, get out, get some. Uh.
It's like people almost expect you to fail, coming from Alaska, becasue we are so far
away. It's a battle dude. Like anything in life you struggle with, you know what I'm
saying? There comes times when you just feel like it's pointless almost, or hopeless. That
being from Alaska man, what the hell am I doing. Fifteen years, ten years, working at
this. There's been times where I've been ready to just close down the studio. I'm not recording
no more. I'm not doing it. But I can't stop doing music. I can't. I'll go, I'll go a month
without writing something, then all of the sudden it just clicks in my head and I'm in
the studio at three in the morning, making a song, you know what I mean? It's just in
me to do that. So I don't think ... I don't think I'll ever stop man.
Don't weep sons, No sweet songs, but this is how it started. This world is cold and
full of evil, can you beg my pardon. Refuse to go, this retro flow, refuse to be no targets,
but can I please just watch them grow and finish what I started. This life is already
hard enough without these prices shooting up. The gas bout four dollars a gallon, winter
getting cold as fuck. Plastic on my windows too, I already sealed them up. No matter what
I do it's still the same other thing. Tryin to save a buck. CO Salary crazy as fuck.
I've been out here, unemployed for over nine months.That's the brakes. Don't get down in
a slump. Our whole economy screwed up and down in the dumps.
They eyes was light, they shine so bright, they look something just like mine. The wrong
chick but the right time, made some kids, some homies got time. Now time pass and we
getting older. Simply put, I'm outta order. Music isn't blowing, don’t wear no chips
up on my shoulder. Keep my balance, help my heart from growing colder. Cause the malice
actions they like them sending ashes. Burning boulder. When it's all over, simply put, there's
nothing left. Just know I tried my best, and never live with regrets.
So I'm like, hey homie, what it is, I guess that's what it always be. Struggle to bring
home groceries. The fridge is only half filled. Working more than two jobs, and this rap game
just won't pay the bills. Living in a world that is cold as fuck.
Everything that embodies me is because of Alaska. So I think it's important to like
represent like something that people can look at like a handicap, and show them that that's
your strength.
I think I would just compare it to anybody trying to do anything that's like far fetched
from a place that nobody knows anything about. We've heard the stories from all these people.
We've heard the stories about LA, we've heard the stories about Atlanta, we've heard New
York, we've heard Chicago, like there's rappers from all those places.
People in the states don't know shit about Alaska, you know what I'm saying? They think
it's just like igloos and like moose and shit. It's so much more to being in Alaska than
that. If somebody from the future came to you right now and told you "You'll be broke
off this shit if you keep rapping. You'll just be doing this for fun for the rest of
your life." Would you keep going? And I was like yeah. You have to be willing to like
lose everything, you know what I'm saying, to gain it all. That's all I know. You know
what I'm saying?
Uh, Uh, uh. Lifestyles of the young and hustling Can't do no business with younger niggas,
they always bluffing Ain't really trippin' got bigger pictures,
it's always somethin' Right on my plate, something for me to take,
aye I'm giving you all I got I'm Anita Bake and
my time coming don't know why you tryna' make Keezy wait
Are you grind frontin'? Homie that's my assumption you standing in line look like you hiding
behind somethin' Overcompensation from niggas hatin', I'm focused
but I ain't patient cause' I remember vaguely When I didn't have a dime I was not on your
mind, but see now I'm doing my thing yeah I'm doing fine
I'm getting to the checks like that "just do it" line
Due to dollars I'm due to demolish I'm doing crime
Close your eyelids is what I'm advising you know that I am...
Flying through the whole town, no license for this pilot
Praises to the most highest
Ridin' through the city with my tank on E You know who gone' make it you can bank on
me! I got the city on my back right? Okay!
And in the past when I ain't have it, it just made me want to grab it I was
Riding through the city with my tank on E tho'
You know who gone' make it you can bank on, me though, Got the city on my back, city on my.