Arctic Talent: Jacob Okatsiak’s rise to being the ‘Drake of Nunavut’

It’s hard to describe the process of writing a rap song, says Jacob Okatsiak.

In short: the words have to expand on the meaning and the “feel” of the ones that come before them, in a rhythmical way.

“But it just comes naturally, once you learn it over the years,” says the self-taught lifelong musician from Arviat.

To him, the process is therapeutic and helps him feel connected with his culture and musical family.

He recently talked to Nunatsiaq News about how his career has unfolded so far.

2010: Okatsiak goes to an Anglican church in Arviat, hears people sing gospel music and realizes that he wants to learn music. The same year, he and his father record their first songs — two gospel pieces, in English and Inuktitut.

“So a lot of music I knew back then, I learned from either my family or the church,” he says.

2011: Okatsiak picks up musical instruments for the first time. On his own time, he learns music theory and starts playing guitar. Next, he masters the piano.

2013: He starts listening to some of the Arctic’s more prominent Inuit rap and hip-hop musicians like Shauna Seeteenak and Adam Tanuyak, who goes by the stage name Hyper-T.

“I listened to their tracks as a learning ground, in case I ever want to write my songs following their lead,” he says.

2020: Just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Okatsiak and his cousin become fans of “big mainstream” rappers like Eminem. At some point, Okatsiak suggests making their own recording, just for fun.

They make a remix of Eminem’s Mockingbird and post it on Facebook.

“We started getting pretty positive feedback,” he says.

2022: Okatsiak releases his first professionally recorded single and shortly after, his first album titled Inuugapta or We Are People.

That’s when he is touted in a news story as the “Drake of Nunavut.”

“I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but I thought it was pretty cool,” he says of the nickname.

2025: He has already performed at several music festivals, including the Puvirnituq Snow Festival and Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit.

Currently, he is working on a new album he hopes will be more “meaningful” than the last one. The release date hasn’t been determined yet, he says.

Tip from the trade: Don’t wait for the right moment, mood or equipment. Okatsiak recorded his first song using his phone and a Bluetooth speaker.

“Anything is possible if you put your mind and soul into it,” he says.

Okatsiak’s Arctic talent pick: Fellow rapper Lutie Kaviok, from Arviat.