AK Rhymefest making its debut at the Alaska State Fair this season

WASILLA — AK Rhymefest is making its way to the Alaska State Fair for the first time this fall.

Rhymefest is a multifaceted music event that brings local and visiting artists together for a full day of celebration.

Founder Devon Shaw started Rhymefest to promote local hip-hop artists and other performers across the state for a stronger and more vibrant music scene. He said incorporating the Rhymefest platform with the Fair is an exciting milestone.

“I’m happy. It’s a win. It’s an accomplishment, most definitely. I actually started working on it and talking to them right before the pandemic hit. So, had we had a Fair that year, we probably would have done this already. But, I’m stoked. I can’t wait,” Shaw said. “It opens up a big opportunity for local artists… It’s more about setting up a good foundation here in Alaska.”

The 5th Annual AK Rhymefest took place last month. Shaw said it was a successful event with a large turnout at Klondike Mikes.

“We packed it. We absolutely packed it,” Shaw said.

Shaw said that having a day at the Fair gives them a second opportunity to connect Alaskan artists to the public and push their overall mission of growing the music scene forward. He said they plan to keep the regular summer event with the hope of returning to the Fairgrounds each year and tying it to their podcast.

“We should take pride in our music scene,” Shaw said.

In addition to leading a musical movement, Shaw is one of Alaska’s prominent hip hop performers, both solo and with his group, Unite The North or UTN. UTN opened for Sean Kingston in 2008 and they also opened up for Kendrick Lamar in 2013.

He said returning to the Fairgrounds with the ever-evolving Rhymefest with its large roster of talented performers in hand is a dream come true.

“With Rhymefest, the further I can expand it, the better. We’ve got the radio. We’ve got the podcast. We’ve got the Fair. We’ve got the yearly event,” Shaw said. “What Rhymefest stands for, what we stand for is the growth of the music scene. We don’t hate. That’s the number one thing… We want to encourage artists to get out there.”

Shaw noted that they’re still looking for sponsors for the upcoming Rhymefest at the Fairgrounds. The event runs from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, September 3 off the Yellow Trail. Admission is $10 at the door or $5 for presale. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at the Alaska State Fair website at alaskastatefair.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com