The year 2025 is almost upon us, and business hustlers, and go-getters are already planning and thinking about how they’re going to increase their financial profits and hustles going into the New Year. One individual, who’s making his businesses and hustles into a true reality and setting the bar is Damian Powell, who is more so recognized in the radio & music Industry as “DY-Nasty or D.Y”.
From creating and now owning his own urban FM radio station “Hot 97.9 FM in Raleigh-Durham NC”, that
broadcasts throughout the NC metro area. Plus, he also owns his own independent record label “Hazardous Records LLC” that has distributed through two different distribution channels, one by Ingrooves, a division of Universal Music Group and ADA which is a Warner Bros. company. D.Y also has his own marketing & PR company “Arena Management-Marketing”, which in turn does video marketing to major TV networks, blog site placements, Spotify & Apple play lists placements and YouTube marketing.
We recently sat down with D.Y, and he shared a lot of what he went through during his grind to glory. He explained to us that he was still in his grinding stage now! He first established himself with his partners Ryan “R” Stewart and Joe-Wunstop when they launched the Independent label “Hazardous Records in the year 2000.
While at the same time working for Radio One’s K97.5 in Raleigh-Durham NC for over 9 years. During this time period D.Y, made it his mission to learn both, the radio & music business at the same time. He also developed critical relationships with music industry executives Like, Bruce Johnson, Selim Bouab of 300 Ent, Alan Grunblatt of 300 Ent, JoJo Brime & Jay Grand of RCA and others. D.Y also started producing beats for the likes of DJ Khalid, Cam’ron, Bone Crusher, Ace Hood & Jim Jones & more. Also DJing parties on the local nightclub scene in Raleigh-Durham NC, making a very big name for himself. In Nov 2009, D.Y & his partner “R” Inked a Deal with Unauthorized/Warner Bros. But going forward a couple of months later in the year 2010 things would take a major left.
Tragic events and a couple of setbacks would impact D.Y, from the record label side and from the radio side also. One of his label affiliates and his former artist was charged with 1 st degree murder and accessory to murder. Which had a devastating blow to the label and some of the business dealings to a temporary halt.
Within two months, after the incident, D.Y was also soon fired from Radio One’s K97.5, for just being associated in some form with the individuals that were accused of the crime, but things always get worse before they get better. As D.Y was speaking to us, he fast forward to the year 2012, his young brother was shot & killed and to add also in early 2016, his daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Through all the heartaches, headaches and setbacks, D.Y still kept himself together and stayed focus as much as he could to rebuild things in his life, his label and at the same time while he was creating a master plan, that involved him secretly working close with the FCC and a frequency engineer named Tim Warner to create and launch his own FM radio brand on the dial in Raleigh-Durham. Months later, things started looking up again and moving positive for the young entrepreneur. Soon coming, his label inked there 1st single/distro deal with 300 Entertainment, this situation would put him in position to create and catapult his companies in a huge way, plus building critical industry relationships with new platforms.
In the year 2018, it with came more relief and more business blessings, D.Y’s label & marketing company was starting to flourish in the industry, but it didn’t stop there. More great opportunities were soon to come. He mentioned to us, staying focused plus keeping a level head and making sacrifices and commitments all played a big part in the pay off. That same year, PMC Broadcasting LLC was created and D.Y and his partner purchased their 1st radio frequency, 97.9 FM. With in three months,
D.Y went to his HBCU that he graduated from, “St Augustine’s University” and negotiated one hell of a deal, with the school Board & the President, to take over and manage & engineer their commercial AM 750 frequency, that was currently in off the air in a dormant state. This deal between D.Y and the university had major benefits for both of them. On a Friday night October 19th, 2018 at 9pm, the new Hip Hop & RnB station, “Hot 97.9 FM” was born and it shook up the city taking Radio One by surprise! The
frequency also re-broadcasts on 750 AM as well! Now with his label and marketing company poppin, plus adding a major business power move to his platform. D.Y is now the youngest black owned FM radio station in the country, he has truly become self-made and created himself into an all in one powerhouse!