Dren Starr continues to inspire others with his success story of being in prison, and upon release, entering a digital world he had no clue how to use, to now mastering it.
Before Going Away
Dren Starr is a dedicated and avid lover of hip hop. Born in 1977 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Starr has been involved with hip hop from the tender age of 14 years old. By 18, he was one-half of a pirate radio station duo revolutionizing airwaves with the unedited version of entertaining hip hop songs.
Starr’s stolen radio time was a breath of fresh air for fans, and their audience reach continued to grow even with expansion to New Jersey. He was proud to give burgeoning rap acts the necessary exposure they were denied on traditional radio stations such as HOT 97 FM due to strict FCC policies. Despite being aware of the possibility of FCC shutting him down, Dren remained determined in his mission,
While Dren would have liked to play forever, his pirating days were inevitably cut short as the FCC caved in on the operation. He used his newfound time to return to his home base of Lower East Side Manhattan, where he pioneered Pirate Recordings. The initial success led him to open more recording studios. Soon, the pirating DJ evolved into a multipotentialite hip hop stakeholder who managed, produced and engineered.
The Big P
Dren Starr was on the fast lane to the peak of the highly competitive hip hop industry when he was imprisoned 5 ½ years in a New York prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
Post Prison
Time spent, and his debt to society paid, the usually enterprising Dren was released back into a world he did not readily recognize. During his incarceration, the digital takeover had swept over the world, and Dren was unfortunately not given a front-row seat. Left reeling in shock and awe at what can be accomplished on social media and online, he quickly acquainted himself with the new world.
“My biggest challenge was converting to what I call the new digital era of the music industry,” posits Starr. He continued by expressing, “When I started in this industry, you had to really know people in real life. Now in this era, people have profiles on social media and send messages and DM’s. No one knows each other, and it’s just crazy how you can send a message to someone in hopes of doing business.”
He quickly familiarized and armed himself with an arsenal of digital tools and kickstarted a whole new career as a digital marketer and promotions guru through his very own creation – LES BRAND. His slew of partnerships now includes Roc Nation, D’USSÉ cognac, as well as playing a significant role in mega hip hop music festivals with Rolling Loud and numerous other tours.
Dren Starr has managed to carve out a name for himself as a music mogul, influencer, and shrewd businessman. At a glance, his social media platforms are star-studded with musical legends and billionaires like Michael Rubin. But what cannot be ignored is his ability to rapidly adapt while maintaining his authentic self no matter the situation.
To get in touch with Dren Starr, please visit the links below.
Instagram: @drenstarr
Facebook: www.facebook.com/drenstarr