Mannish Da Jula
Interview by Eagle Split Point
Over the years we’ve heard some Rap music coming out of Alaska, but there doesn’t seem to be a big movement up there. What’s happening in Alaska with Rap?
We’ve got a movement going on in the Anchorage area. It’s not like real big, but it’s big here. We’ve got about 3 different acts up here that are really into the craft and taking some money and making some things happen.
Who are the main artists doing it big in Anchorage, Alaska?
That would be the UNDB and Marvelus Music. You’ve got some old school legends that have been doing it for a while, that DBL and Iroc Omega, and Mystro Jones.
Are most of these artists older people or pretty young?
A lot of them are in their mid-twenties. UNDB consists of Baydilla, P-Nut, Scoe, Duck, Dreadhead, HC, Dub, and Wookie. Marvelus consists of Josh Boots, Soiled Seed, and Yound D. Are there some good clubs where people can perform in Anchorage?
We’ve got some good clubs. The main one is Elixers, that’s where UNDB has done a lotta shows and brought a lot of artists from all over the country to perform. We get artists from Down South and the Bay Area and all over. That’s where I got to meet The Jacka and Yukmouth and Rydah J. Klyde, Ampichino. That’s how I came to do songs with all of them. Those were good shows. We also got Roadrunners, it’s more of a sophisticated venue. We’ve got a lotta things going on. Radio is good, now they play local music.
What kind of sound is coming out of Anchorage? Is it more of a Gangsta sound or more lyrical Hip Hop or dance music?
I see every region and every style represented up here, because there’s so many people from everywhere that’s up here in Alaska. We hear so much different music that we just throw it all together and come up with something. We’ve got a guy up here called Raw Beats. Raw Beats has been all around the country making his beats and getting a lotta recognition. He’s the main one to really get outta here and make some money off of this and rub shoulders with a lotta different rappers and labels. Since he came back to Alaska he’s been the main one that’s making our sound.
What type of sound does he get when he produces tracks?
He can do anything. Anything you’re looking for, Raw can do that for you. He’s good with it right now, and he’s starting to get more into the Pop music side of it now. He’s good with the Crunk music, he’s good with Hip Hop. His sound is incredible.
Do you feel like Alaska has a signature sound?
You can tell sometimes when you listen to certain people’s shit that it sounds like some Alaskan music. But it’s all mixed up. It depends on who you’re listening to. A lotta people think that Alaska’s northwest, so a lot of us got that West Coast swag. A lot of people got cousins out in Seattle and Portland and down in California, and they chop it up with them. They might be going between two states. All of that plays a part of it.
Where do you fit in? Are you new to the scene or have you been doing it for a long time?
I actually took a break for a little while. At one point I thought things would go better for me, and when it wasn’t going right I took a break from the music. A couple of years later I came back and I was just so hyped up for some reason. I just wanted to make something happen, because I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do. I felt like I gotta do it as hard as I can do it. Ever since then it’s been all me. Before it was me with a team. Now it’s just me and I’ve been getting a lot more done. I’ve been working harder. Last year was a good year for me. I dropped two mixtapes, did four videos, did some shows, just pushing. I’m really trying to branch out. To me everything’s moving too slow. When I go out to California things are moving at a faster pace, and I like being in that atmosphere. Plus everybody is helping to support more. That’s what we’re missing up here in Alaska, the support. We need people to go out and support us more and buy our music. Some of the music is not up to par too, so if people go out and buy something that’s no good, then they don’t want to take a risk buying more of the local music. That’s another problem. But the rappers that I named, they’re really puttin it down.
Is the Rap community all mixed up there—Black, White, Mexican, Native?
It’s a mix. Marvelus has a White rapper in the camp and he’s real decent; his name is Josha Boots. He’s been doing it for over ten years and he’s got a nice fanbase. He go out and rock the shows. He’s doin his thing. I like him. He’s got a Mexican cat with him too, his name is Soiled. He even raps in Spanish. They’re more Hip Hop, not real street.
What about you? How do people describe your sound?
Some songs I’m on some straight lyrical shit, and people say I’m more like an East Coast rapper. Then a lotta my shit sounds like some Mobb shit. That’s cool, cause I like Mobb music.
Who makes your beats?
I work with a producer who’s in LA, he’s from San Diego. His name is Auditory Beats. He’s a platinum producer oversees. In America he’s produced for artists like The Game, Jayo Felony, Mitchy Slick, The Jacka, E-40. He’s a heavy producer. He also shot all my videos. He’s dope, man. Auditory is the shit. You can always be sure that what he gives you is A1. And he’s got connections, he helps you get the shit pushed out on the market. I didn’t know anything about PR or promotions till I met him. And I got some producers out in New York that I work with too, K Salam and Beatnix. They produce for Dipset and Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, a bunch of different rappers out on the East Coast. Their sound is pretty heavy too. I like it because it’s on some chill, laid-back, old school shit. They can do the samples, but mostly they like to play it themselves. So a lot of my music from them has live instruments, live horns or guitars, bass. But then my boy Raw Beats from up here, me and him came together and we made this sound called Playboi Muzik, that’s the movement I’ve been pushing now.
How did you come into that?
One day we were in the studio and he was making a beat. He’s like, “It’s a little out of my element.” To me it wasn’t cause he’s good at making those riding type of beats. But this one was a little more chill. Then I’m like, “That sound like some Playboi Muzik.” Boom! We took off from there with the Playboi Muzik. We came up with that because we’re from Alaska and everybody’s trying to rap the same and everything sounds the same. I got tired of that, so I decided to do this Playboi Muzik. The Playboi Muzik is mainly talking about the mack shit, the player shit, and having fun. Playboi Muzik gives you something to ride to, you got some hoes with you or whatever.
When you say Playboi Muzik is more chill, what does it sound like?
It doesn’t sound all that different from West Coast laid back shit. Lyrically it’s more like for the females. It’s music to ride to. Everybody likes to go out there and be a player and see which sexy broads they can pull. It’s just music for players. It ain’t too hard. My mixtapes is where I go in and do that hard shit, but these EP’s that I got a lotta tracks for the ladies. The fellows dig it too, cause it’s real life playboy shit.
How did your style as a rapper evolve?
I basically came up under Mystro Jones and Iroc Omega. I came up under them and I was influenced by them. I took their styles and ran with it, made something of my own.
What does Mannish Da Jula have that makes you stand out from the rest?
I’ve got a smooth flow that people seem to like to listen to. I’ve got product, I’ve got videos. Now I need somebody to manage me, push this shit and get up out of here. I need to branch out to the whole Northwest region. I’m ready to make some noise up this way.
