ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s a goal of some rappers to found their own record label, but why should it stop there?
This week on “Black Men Sundays,” host Corie Murray interviews William Starda Perry, a performing artist, rapper and singer-songwriter known for his philanthropy, community leadership and other accolades.
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Currently on an international performance tour, Starda got in touch with us all the way from Thailand — an 11-hour time difference — mango daiquiri in hand.
“One thing I will say is this. For me, was just a social experiment of like, you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, and that’s why I came out here super New York guerilla style, like it was not a vacation to me,” he said. “...With that mentality — with the savage, hip hop mentality — it worked out really well. My second day here (...) we were able to perform at the biggest hip hop club out here in Pattaya.”
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Starda’s entrepreneurship doesn’t end at B.A.R.S. Productions LLC, the independent music label he co-founded. He also co-founded the entertainment company WeJustWorkin LLC and even serves as a managing partner with SkoopThereItIs LLC, a minority-owned ice cream retailer.
“If I’m gonna stand out and y’all gonna look at me like I’m not supposed to be there anyway, I might as well- maybe I’m not supposed to be there, and then I’ll show you why I’m supposed to be there,” he said. “I think it really just comes down to believing that you have a product that can actually make an impact. I think it also comes down to really defining what all of these LLCs represent, right? Because for me, it’s like, like I said, like the Power Rangers, right? Everybody has their own color, everybody has their own zord that comes through, makes the Megazord, literally the fight never ends until everybody comes together and makes the Megazord, right? So that’s kind of how I felt about these brands.”
He said he’s been impressed with the work ethic he’s seen in people abroad, describing many as having a “CEO mentality.”
“I‘m trying to show people, you can be a rapper, you can be an entrepreneur, you can move out of the hood, but you can’t be in the hood still doing these things and pursuing all of these things. You don’t have to change how you speak just because you changed your ZIP code. ‘Swagg Durty,’ it was actually just like, my lifestyle and the balance of being a CEO, but a street guy, and using both that I was about to make my own story to push through, break boundaries. So yeah, I really think it just comes back down to choosing your ‘why,’ and then choosing leaders and understanding that none of our leaders became legends with a squeaky clean legacy.”
Hear the full interview and more in Season 2, Episode 22 of “Black Men Sundays.”
Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below.