Black Bag Records Presents: LA - "I Made It" feat. Gucci Mane
“I knew I’d get back to music once I was stable and no one could take my dream away from me again,” rapper and businessman L.A. reflects. The Minneapolis representative’s love affair with Hip-Hop began when his caretaking grandmother helped him pen his first verse during early childhood. Despite promising beginnings, L.A. faced mighty hurdles. Innocence was lost, and Rap dreams were crushed on a journey that includes loss, incarceration, and poverty. However, the artist who raps under the moniker of his Lyndon Aking initials refuses to lose. Black Bag Records and The Drop, Volume 1 (featuring Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, Nipsey Hussle, and Gucci Mane) straighten a path, rebrand the Twin Cities, and stand up for extra chances.
Born in Gary, Indiana, L.A. was the middle of five children. Thanks to his grandmother, he is an old soul, the product of early morning coffee conversations, Blues music, and a social circle of older women. Influenced by artists like Snoop, Ice Cube, and Scarface, L.A. saw Rap as storytelling. After relocating to live in Minnesota with his mother, he adapted to a new home—not without problems. When his grandmother passed, L.A. says he was a lost cause. “I’m rapping to release my energies. It’s therapy for me because I’m an emotional child who’s acting out and doing all those things,” he admits. “After that, I go crazy, ‘cause that’s my rock.” Rap was the one glimmer of a life outside of trouble, whether it was TV producers helping him make an early video, or winning over the prison population (including the warden) through daily cell freestyles. Inside the walls, L.A. taught himself to read and write, along with building his faith. No longer with his grandma, the young adult used her Rap advice to speak his truths through verse and chase away the negativity. Like his presence on the mic, L.A. is a man of commanding character. He speaks with heart and authority, pulling from an extraordinary life. It was that trait that drew in the founders of THOR, the nation’s biggest minority-owned construction company. In 2008, shortly after L.A.’s latest prison release, they met—and immediately wanted to empower him in their seven-figure music venture. Just as the ink dried, the housing market crashed. As L.A. finally caught a break, his plans were broken.
Within the fifth wealthiest state in the country, L.A. paused Rap to invest. From real estate and clubs to street trades, he built and stacked for eight years. Recently, a chance meeting with rapper Momoh led L.A. to rediscover his passion. “After watching him, I started feeling like it was possible again. I started vibing with the youth element, while still keeping my rawness, identity, and authenticity. I feel like that’s what the game had been lacking, ‘cause that’s what we lack in general, as a people.” Momoh joins Suzie Soprano as focal points of Black Bag. With L.A. in the driver’s seat, it represents the journey. “It’s us saying that we’re doing our part, coming from where we come from, presenting opportunities for people around us to save themselves from ending up in black bags,” he says of the name. “At the same time, we’re saying we’re Black, and we’re in our bag.” First single “(Bitch) I Made It” exemplifies that. The album’s guest list pulls from all regions and styles. “I’m trying to market to kids and adults so we can get to a point where we can communicate with each other through music. That generational bridge is being destroyed every day, if you ask me.” Armed with a powerful journey and proven entrepreneurial-ism, L.A. is back in business and living out his dream.