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Rather than signing with a major label, Hip Hop artist AK-69 remains true to being an independent artist. While many may assume this to be an unpopular option, AK-69 firmly believes that there are certain advantages and his decision brings deeper, valuable meaning which can only be obtained through this path less taken.

AK-69 released his first record, “PAINT THE WORLD” under his singer name Kalassy Nikoff which jump-started his solo carrier. He quickly earned his spot in the Japanese Hip Hop scene through the releases of “REDSTA -The Rap Attacker-” and “REDSTA -The Melodizm-”. Soon after, he compiled his first best album entitled “BEST OF REDSTA” and in 2008, he created an audio masterpiece with the release of “TRIUMPHANT RETURN -Redsta Iz Back-”. In 2009, he made an appearance on one of Japan’s top singer Kumi Koda’s album, increasing his notoriety and visibility in the Japanese music scene. There was no stopping the momentum of AK-69 – that same year, AK-69 announced the release of his next album “THE CARTEL FROM STREETS”, and also made a guest appearance on the number one R&B singer of Japan, AI’s 10th anniversary single “Still…”, along with making guest appearances on a number of other artists’ records as well. His next album that followed “THE RED MAGIC” shot to the top of the Oricon Weekly Chart (the Japanese music industry’s most influential music chart that spans across all genres), peaking at no.3. To add to this success, the music video for his pre-released single “PUBLIC ENEMY” was nominated for several awards and won the “SPACE SHOWER MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS 2011 – BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO” and “RYUHA-R PV AWARD 2010.” In September of 2011, his “THE RED MAGIC “ tour final show at Nippongaishi Hall attracted over tens of thousand of fans, becoming a monumental success in his career which can be compared to major artists of those in the United States – a vision that AK shared as being an important goal in his music career (the footage from the show was eventually released on DVD and Blu-ray). That same year, he won Billboard JAPAN MUSIC Awards 2011 “INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2011” and continued on to receive the same award the following year in March of 2012. There were no signs of slowing down in sales where in February of 2012, the album “THE CARTEL FROM STREETS” received certified gold status by the Recording Industry Association of Japan along with his album “THE RED MAGIC” in October of that same year.

Embracing the next stage of his career, AK-69 took his talents to the city of New York to work on his next album. On January of 2013, he released his 7th solo album “The Independent King” which shot to 2nd place on the Oricon Charts. The music video to his single “START IT AGAIN” off his album was nominated “MTV VMAJ 2013 – Best Hip Hop Video”. To commemorate the release of the album, he went on The Zepp Tour – a 6 show tour expanding across 5 Zepp venues all over Japan that drew over 12,000 fans. In the same year, he released “THE MOVIE -Road To The Independent King-” – a documentary style DVD which showed behind-the-scenes footage of his Zepp Tour. It was this DVD that lead to his career-first number one ranking on the Oricon Charts.

AK-69, who still travels back and forth between Japan and New York, performed live at the event “Harlem Day” in August of 2012. He became the first Japanese rapper ever to perform at the event which is hosted annually by the most influential Hip Hop radio station in the world HOT97. One year later, he made history again performing at “HOT97 presents ‘Who’s Next’” – an event which showcases the hottest up-and-coming rappers that are next to take over the music scene. The event was held at the historical Hip Hop venue SOB’s and his performance that night captured the heart and soul of every person who was in attendance. He continued on to make appearances on HOT97′s web interview series “New On HOT97″ and “97 SECONDS.” The shows which often time feature appearances from Grammy Award winning Hip Hop artists, AK-69 became the first Japanese artist to be featured, being compared to as the “Jay-Z of Japan”, increasing his presence and awareness in the U.S. market.

Towards the end of 2013, AK-69 released his 2nd best album “Road to The Independent King” which also included his newest collaborative song with U.S. top artist DJ Khaled. In the following year of 2014, he announced his first ever arena tour which took place at Nippongaishi Hall and Nippon Budokan. The 2 separate shows were each titled “The Roots” and “The Future” respectively, depicting the stories of his past and future (the roads that lead up to this critical point of his career). The sold out shows for both venues proved to the world that his unchanged attitude and demeanor that he has carried on since making his first debut were essentially what helped bring him to the top of the industry.

AK-69 has taken every step in his career carefully with dedication and hard work that is often difficult to imagine; but he is far from being satisfied. It is this very sense of ambition that has everybody anticipating to see where he will go next. If Hip Hop music, rooted in Black Culture, is the music that gives voice to those who struggle, then an independent artist from a lesser known city who has beat the odds given his difficult past, is the essence of what a real Hip Hop artist is all about.


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