Growing up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side was no easy feat for Dren Starr. Once known as a relatively dangerous section of the city, the music mogul had to work harder than most because he was starting from the bottom and working his way up to the top. But, falling in love with the music industry at such a young age, it didn’t take long for him to end up working as a DJ at 14 years old and starting his pirate radio station at 18 years old.
The Start of an Incredible Career
Dren Starr was determined to succeed because he knew he wanted more from life, so he worked hard for it. And, when the FCC decided to shut his radio station down, he didn’t let that stop him from taking steps to opening a recording studio, which would become the first official studio in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The studio’s success led to him opening other recording studios, where he’d produce and handle music engineering tasks for various artists, including the late Big Punisher.
Working in the studio allowed him to get to know many up-and-coming artists, which eventually led to him managing hip-hop artists on a personal and tour level. He spent several years traveling back and forth from the Lower East Side to exciting new places while working as a manager for talented artists until it all came to a pause. “My music career came to a standstill because I got sentenced to prison for a gun possession charge. I spent five and a half years in prison, but never stopped thinking about the music industry and everything I wanted to do when I got out,” shared Dren Starr. “I didn’t give up on my passion.”
A Shocking Digital Surprise
When he got out of prison, Dren Starr was surprised to see how much the music industry had changed, noting that social media was much more of a thing now than before his time in prison. “Once I saw that this was a digital era for the music industry, I knew I had to get into it and make some changes to the way that I handle my business. But, although I knew I had to adapt, I didn’t let the fear of the unknown hold me back. Instead, I relied on my resilience and solid reputation to get me through,” he said.
And that’s what he did. His adaptiveness to the digital era of the music industry has allowed him to pick back up where he left off. Dren Starr continues to work with some of the most recognized names in the industry, including Diddy, 50 Cent, Meek Mill, and Noreaga. As a self-made music mogul known for being a one-man band, he’s made a name for himself in a competitive industry. With a love of music and a hustler’s mindset, Dren Starr proves that you can achieve big things if you want them badly enough, even if you’re starting from the bottom to get to the top.
Starr can be reached on social media at:
@DRENSTARR (Instagram)
@DRENSTARR (Facebook)
