In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Fairbanks-based rapper Josh Silva, better known as Alaska Redd. Redd is one of the pioneers of Alaska hip hop. He’s been pursuing it for over 20 years. And in that time, he’s had to learn what a successful career in hip hop looks like in Alaska, that it can’t follow the conventional route of radio-play and touring because many times local radio stations won’t play your music, and statewide touring is not always possible because of a lack of venues or an unwillingness to host a hip hop show. So, he’s had to improvise by founding his own studio, releasing his music independently and running his own tours.

 

As a pioneer, Redd says that he feels a responsibility to the local hip hop scene. So, he tries to help up-and-coming artists when he can, by providing studio time and by imbuing knowledge. He says that if you wanna be serious about music and excel at it, then you need to invest in yourself because, at the end of the day, nobody is gonna believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.