illaska.com Anchorage Alaska Hip Hop Urban Entertainment Source For News and Events

I used to have so much faith in the 907 music scene. I had big hopes for us as a state.....but I guess a part of me was just rooting for the underdogs....wanting so much for my state.

T.I., Lil Boosie, Gucci Mane, Shyne, DMX, C-Murder, Lil Wayne, Waka and countless others....All rappers who have been incarcerated on charges ranging from DUIs, drug and weapon possesion to Homicide...

Strange typically isnt a word used to best illustrate a hip hop concert unless of course your describing a show put on by Kansas City, Missouri rap artist Tech N9ne. The rapper displayed an insanely incredible performance from entry to exit during his Strictly Strange 08 tour in Anchorage, Alaska. Accompanied by rappers Krizz Kaliko

Pen and paper have become a way of life for many rappers in the industry however, Jerremy Santacrose AKA AKream of Arctic Flow Records, doesn’t allow the lines of college ruled paper to restrict his creativity. After more than 15 years of rapping, sculpting his lyrical skills and nearly perfecting his craft, Akream has reached the point of paper-free song creation; a level of a ingenious that even the best fall short of.

When asked her stage name, she shrugged her shoulders, licked her lips, shifted in her knee high stiletto boots and nonchalantly replied “Joan.” After seconds of an awkward stare as if something more unique was to follow she finished…”Just Joan!” Though her name is strikingly simple and far from street her rhymes are ironically a direct opposite. Detroit born

While many read the flyer, stared in confusion and asked themselves, "Who are these cats," avid listeners like myself marked their calendar and made it a priority to attend the "From the Bay to AK" concert. Bay area artists, Coolio the Under Dogg, J. Diggs, Ryder J Klyde and Sleep Dank performed March 21, 2008 at Club Millennium rockin a crowd under conditions that for many artists would have been less than performable. The Thizz Nation artists managed to make it through nearly 90 minutes of showtime despite an audience of less than 200 people.

Out of those 200 audience members, about 80-90% were under the age of 18. The choice in Venue eliminated many fans that would have otherwise attended. After all how many people wish to attend a club that their younger siblings or kids for that matter are able to go to. With the bar being a floor below the actual concert to avoid underage drinking, audience members 21 and up were forced to decide between having a drink or enjoying the show. The separation in floors took heads from the crowd and unfortunately when you lose numbers you lose hype.

Along with choice in venue comes atmosphere. Selection in music is one of the largest ways to create an atmosphere for any event. If you were to host a Miles Davis concert one would only expect that you play soothing sounds of Jazz and Classic R&B. If you were to host a Lil Jon concert one would only expect that you play high energy crunk club music. So if you were to have a Thizz Nation concert one would only expect that you play West Coast Music more specifically Hyphy music. The most memorable song of the night was "The Thizzle Dance." Why? Because it may have been the only Bay Area track played the entire evening.

Nonetheless, the rappers completed their sets as if they were performing in a crowd of 1000 attendees. They also shot footage for "Treal TV 3," a series of Thizz Nation performances and documentaries filmed around the globe. The series began as a tradition that was started by Bay Area legend Mac Dre. While crowd members held up their T’z in the air to show their Thizz Nation support, four camera men circulated the room capturing their Alaskan fans. Indeed the Atmosphere could have been improved and the arrangement of the Venue could have been adjusted but if anyone knows the trials and tribulations of concert coordination trust that it is yours truly. The promoters did the best with what they were given and unfortunately that’s how the concert business works!