Deployed Airman wins talent show, sets sights on rap career

Published Feb. 1, 2012
By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- I'm lost, but I'll never back out/I'm living on a bad route/So I hit the booth and black out ...

As a security forces Airman, Senior Airman Walter Massey has had challenging days on the job. As an aspiring rap artist, he's found a way to channel his energy in a productive manner.

"You can be standing out there for hours on end just guarding a plane and if you let it get to you, you'll be miserable," he said. "But if you just adopt a different outlook on a situation and try to see things from a different angle, it can change your whole attitude. That's why it's helpful to have specific goals - it keeps you focused through tough times when you know it's all toward something you want."

Massey, deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., dreams of being a successful rapper and audio engineer. During the month of January, he showcased his skills in the basewide talent competition at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The judges unanimously declared him the winner because of his original lyrics based on his life, thoughts and observations.

For Long Beach, Calif., native Massey, writing and rapping are "positive ways of dealing with life's hassles."

"It's like a diary," he said. "It helps me to get my thoughts out and then share them in an way that's entertaining to people. I don't rap about things like cars or clothes. I'm not really about those things."

You see, I know what I require; required to be inspired by fire/That why I'm writing every day until I'm tired ...

While Massey attributes his experiences as an Airman for much of his current success, his original source of inspiration came from a little closer to home.

"When I was in sixth grade, my mom got me started in music when she made me play an instrument," Massey said. "My sister plays all the string instruments - and she's really good - so I picked up the trombone and played that through 12th grade. I played in the jazz band; I was in the marching band. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be if I never picked up an instrument."

After graduation, Massey worked in construction. He and his friends saved money to buy what audio equipment they could, but none of them knew how to use it. Massey decided he wanted to learn, so he put himself through night school to be an audio engineer. He finished the two-year course in half the time.

It's easy to keep going when you know someone believes in you/The fake friends I had, man, their main goal was deceiving you ...

When the job market dried up, Massey headed to the military recruiting offices and settled on the Air Force based on advice from many of his family members who also spent time in the service. Already looking to the future, Massey requested a job in security forces. Just three weeks later, he was on his way to basic military training.

"I knew I wanted to be a cop; I wanted to learn skills I could use on the outside once I got out of the Air Force," Massey said.

I'll walk up to the top and ask "What's the price of success?"/'Cause I'll spend every dollar on it 'til there's not one left ...

After his first deployment, Massey invested thousands into a new set of sound equipment so he could create his own studio. At home he regularly works with other aspiring musicians, mixing and mastering their recordings. And while he enjoys the technician duties, his heart lies with creating his own career. So during his current deployment, Massey focused on getting himself completely out of debt.

"I knew when I was coming over here that it would give me the chance to wipe out all the money I owed," Massey said. "I paid off my car and student loans so now I'm free to invest in my business."

Who really sets you up for failure? Well nobody does/ I have been in situations walking where nobody was ...

Whether it's rapping his own lyrics or helping other musicians, Massey is set to begin the next stage of his life. Although he separates from the Air Force this summer, he credits his time as an Airman for giving him the "drive and discipline to keep working toward something."

"The Air Force has taught me a lot about being a professional no matter what is going on or who you're dealing with," Massey said. "Being a cop is like being in a family and I'll miss that part of the job. I wouldn't be ready to do this if it weren't for my time in the military."

For his coworkers, Massey leaving the service is a little more bittersweet.

"He's pretty talented, so I think it'll be great for him to pursue his dreams, but it's bad for the Air Force; we're losing a really good troop," said Massey's supervisor, Tech. Sgt. James Renfro, deployed from Buckley AFB, Colo. "His optimism is infectious and he just raises morale around him. I look forward to buying his albums."

Now I'm chasing dreams trying to make it a career/But only when you wake up will your dreams disappear/So I'm sleep walking to the booth, and I swear this is the truth/Life can be a battle when you're staring at the living proof...