Dren Starr the famous DJ, Producer, Manager, and Engineer has permanently etched his name in the annals of hip hop as a legendary force to be reckoned with.
Dren Starr masterfully dons many hats, but more than anything else, he has a lifelong love affair with the hip-hop industry.
Starr was born in the Lower East Side Manhattan on November 23, 1977 and has spent the bulk of his life indulging in hip hop in all facets. If you had the luck of interacting with a 14-year-old Starr, you would have been met with a flow far beyond his years and an enviable lyrical acumen. By 18, he was one half of the team propelling burgeoning rappers to wider audiences on the widely renowned hip-hop pirate radio station in New York, WBAD RADIO 91.9FM.
Starr was the main driving force behind the station’s successes, adopting a robust approach to promotions and gathering fresh new content such as the infamous Big Pun interview. After the FCC caught up with the radio rebel, he waved goodbye to his radio days and opened his first of many studios under his Pirate Recording Studio brand. The first studio was launched in his hometown the Lower East Side Manhattan. He aimed to create a musical legacy in a neighborhood with untapped talent and needed a force to highlight it. He soon ventured into artist management and worked with Terror Squad’s Cuban Link, Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah, and others.
He is also credited with being featured on the cover art of Ghostface Killah’s album Big Doe rehab (CD INSERT). He also appeared on the intro of the fifth track on Biggie’s Duets: The Final Chapter album where he is having a conversation with Big Pun. Dren Starr opened up Fat Joe’s well-received Album Family ties on the project’s introduction.
But soon, Dren’s star was dimmed as his career went on a 5 ½-year hiatus due to being convicted for illegal possession of a firearm. After completing his stint, Starr shockingly returned to a world molded anew by the rise of social media and digital advancements. But Starr was dauntless. Instead of wilting into the background, he embraced the change, learned, and was soon expertly leveraging digitization and social media in his own company LES in the capacity of head of promotions and digital marketing strategist.
Today, Starr’s repertoire boasts strategic partnerships with Roc Nation, Rolling Loud, and a plethora of other hip hop tours, concerts, and festivals. He is also one of the creative driving forces behind D’USSÉ cognac.
Dren Starr continues to be a prominent member of the hip and broader business community. He is often caught in the company of equally famous persons such as renowned rappers Meek Mill, Fabulous, and King Combs, son of fellow music maverick Sean “P Diddy” Combs.
When asked where he sees himself in another few years, Dren Starr quipped, “I see myself creating more and more opportunities for my family when I’m no longer here. I want to create a legacy for my two sons who can carry on what I started on the Lower East Side.”
To learn more about Dren Starr and LES BRAND, please follow him on IG @drenstarr and FB @dren.starr and visit www.drenstarr.com
