When I think about the artists who carry the heart of home into their work, I think of my relative Andrew “Dru-P” Marks. Dru-P is a Koyukon Athabascan rapper and singer from Tanana, Alaska. He’s also a talented videographer, a contract video producer, and a dad to two boys.
Like a lot of village kids, his story isn’t one straight line. He grew up in several Alaskan villages, and even as he moved, one thing stayed constant: his childhood nickname, “Droopy.” Over time, he reshaped it into his artist name—Dru-P—and it fit.
He started making music the way so many of us start creating: by playing around, listening closely, and having fun with friends. He remembers looping instrumentals wherever he could find space and rapping over them. That curiosity of “parts of instrumentals where people weren’t talking” became a spark, and that spark became a craft.
He had a pause in music around 2011 when video work and life got busy, but he found his way back in 2020 during the pandemic. Not because he was chasing a trend, but because he missed the joy of it.
That joy matters. The Athabascan Woman Blog has always celebrated Native creatives who are building something real, through culture, storytelling, and everyday resilience. Dru-P’s work fits right in with that spirit and the kind of storytelling I love to share here.
Dru-P’s newest project, Chill Protector Vibes, is an album shaped by reflection, healing, and forward movement. He collaborated with producer Ariano on several tracks and connected with the “emotional tone” of the instrumentals. This year, while selling a home and clearing it out, he found old items that brought back memories and stirred up strong feelings.
What stood out to me is how honestly he described that moment: how something that once felt like failure can look different with time, growth, and survival. He used writing as a way to name what he’d been carrying, including past trauma. But he also made sure the album didn’t get stuck in darkness. He added more songs and incorporated features from friends to shift the tone and broaden the story.
Today, he sees the album as inspiring—not because life was easy, but because he kept going.
Dru-P’s song called “Adonis” best represents the project. He shared a story about attending Catholic school for a year and being teased—especially when other kids mocked “the Natives downtown” and used that to target him. He described the song as a mix of love and trauma, and that’s how he views the album as a whole.
But what stays with me is how he flips that pain into pride in the second verse.
“Around here, Ch’eghwtsen’ we’re proud of our skin.” – Dru-P
That one line carries a lot of love, trauma, identity, and a refusal to shrink.
Dru-P’s creative eye doesn’t stop with music. He got into videography by editing his own basketball highlight videos back when he and his friends had big dreams (and he jokes he ended up being “a lot better at running than basketball”).
As his skills grew, he started producing music videos for fun, took graphic design and video classes in college, and eventually built a career in media. He worked at KTVF Channel 11, producing commercials and supporting news, and today, he does contract video work while balancing family life. Anyone who edits at home with kids nearby knows it’s not always quiet, but he says he’s finding a rhythm, staying present for his boys while still creating.
His best advice is to protect the fun. When I asked what he’d tell aspiring musicians or videographers, Dru-P shared a quote from his friend TK Sweetsir that he lives by.
“It ain’t fun if you ain’t having fun.” – TK Sweetsir
That sounds simple, but it’s actually a powerful creative compass, especially when work gets heavy. Dru-P says he keeps video work fun by constantly challenging himself to learn new things, and he keeps music honest by rewriting when he knows he’s just going through the motions.
Dru-P is already looking ahead to next year. He plans to release a remix project from *Chill Protector Vibes* (with Ariano remixing about 10 instrumentals), perform more shows, and work toward a collab project with 2essentialz.
To preserve knowledge for the future, he also has additional Indigenous storytelling projects in the works, including documentaries on Elder craft projects. I commend him for this work. To me, that kind of storytelling helps keep culture moving forward.
Dru-P’s work is rooted in Tanana, but it reaches far beyond it. It’s music made from memory, pride, family, and the decision to keep creating.
Enaa baasee’, Andrew, for sharing your story and congratulations on the new album!
Listen to his new album, Chill Protector Vibes, on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes. You can also buy physical copies and merch at his performances.
