Though the music industry can be termed a highly crowded industry, the sector still receives exceptional talents that stand out from the rest. Some of these names might not get highly coveted international fame but go a long way to influence the industry’s overall direction. Incredibly, some of these talents, such as Dren STARR, have been in the industry for decades despite its competitive nature.
Dren shares a unique and exciting story with over thirty years of experience in the music industry. He is a self-made music mogul who started as a DJ at 14. Dren was also the youngest music enthusiast to establish his own hip-hop radio station in the pre-social media era. His hard work and dedication saw him launch a promising music career, becoming a notable name in the industry.
Some of his biggest career highlights include being featured on the cover art of Ghostface Killah’s album The Big Doe Rehab, a CD insert. It’s one of the top projects Dren featured in at a time when CDs existed. Also, being featured on Biggie’s duet album in a track that featured Big Pun, Fat Joe, and Freeway at the only time Biggie and Big Pun were on a song together is very significant to Dren. He also opened up Fat Joe’s latest album, Family Ties.
Though he has numerous career highlights, success did not come easy for Dren. He has faced numerous challenges and obstacles, with his most significant hurdle being converting to what he calls the music industry’s new digital era. When Dren started, the industry was still relying on archaic practices, and you had to know people in real life to get anywhere in your career. But today, people have profiles on social media and send messages and DMs; no one knows each other, and it’s crazy how you can send a message to someone in the hope of doing business together. Dren shares that you can be a nobody and literally become an overnight success, a common phenomenon he’s seen happen more than once.
In the journey to success, Dren believes in always staying real, keeping your circle small, and sticking to your lane. Timing and consistency are everything, so don’t force or chase what is not meant for you. He challenges you to do good business and never burn any bridges. Also, stay true to yourself and be humble. Some of the lessons you can learn from Dren is that as long as your grind is real and your heart is pure, you will always be good and have a remarkable name in the music industry. Dren was gone for a very long time but came back, and it felt like he had never left because his name and business were always solid. You can consistently achieve anything you set your mind to, provided you maintain focus and put in the hard work.
Dren sees himself creating more and more opportunities for his family in the future. He wants to create a legacy for his two sons who can carry on what he started on the Lower East Side. Dren’s dreams and aspirations are to make the Lower East Side a household name, sort of like what Wu-Tang did for Staten Island. The goal is to leave a legacy that will reign for centuries to come.
New York Herald 