We recently connected with SPUD! Brooklyn and have shared our conversation below.

SPUD!, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea started way before I knew it. It’s rooted with the love of music. At the age 13 I wrote my first song. That form of expression felt so empowering I just knew I would be in the business of sound somehow. Music was my love. A year later I lost my mother to a heart attack (1994), and the year after that I landed in prison on a life sentence (1995). Life I as I knew it was turned upside down. With depression, sadness and loneliness all I had was music. I spent 13 years in prison and music was the core to my sanity. When got out the world was a completely new place. Technology has took off. Finding a job was impossible with a record so I settled working at a laundrymat in Far Rockaway, Queens New York. I made only 120 dollars week. Many people laughed at me. Saying I will never make a living. I worked for 3 years saving small amounts of my pay till I had $1,200. I knew if I didn’t take a chance my life would not take the shape I wished it too. So I took all I had and spent every cent on studio equipment. That’s when I said I want to open a studio. I knew if I risked everything I would put the right energy into making it work. I was called crazy. I had no place to set it or any experience. But didn’t matter, I found a refrigerator box and cut a door in it, put a mic in it, and put an ad on craigslist, “Free studio time.” This was my way to get active training. After a month I started charging$5 and loved ip to  $10, 4 mouths later $20 and I reinvested the money to buy better equipment. By 2012 I had a full Recording studio. Social media was my tool in promoting and one day MTV real world book my studio. I never looked back since.
With a company making a profit I wanted to share my story and love for music with those who may not be able to afford it. I started a Non-profit company where we use music as an alternative approach to decision making. We do outreach and free studio recordings across the country.
From there I branched out, and started to do consultant for other companies and bands.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Music has always been one of the biggest aspects of my life. I never knew genre, music was just a mood. After writing my first song I just knew music would be my life. My first chance in the music business was with Mc.Lyte’s bodyguard, Mo. He was looking for artist and I performed live to him. He was the one that told me about making sure I had a record and not just a verse here and there. The 13 years I was incarcerated I dove deep into music and music business. Grooming my skills and knowledge music kept me sane. In 2008 I was released and faced the hardship of having a record. Music was quickly my go to. I was being managed as an artist by a brother named Shark who shopped me to music labels and figures. I caught the eyes of Music label Jive. Many people called me foolish with thoughts I could start a studio and make any money from music. In 2012 everything changed. My studio, SHU studio, was officially up and open for business. Shortly, after opening MTV booked by studio for a session.

From there I started producing artist and business started growing.
Labels and brands began calling and asking about artist I was working with. I teamed up with my partner Sincere and we were being called into many the labels to do consulting work.
Social media was one of the tools I used to share my experience and information. It was a hard road but not stopping was key. Sticking to your dream is everything.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

My face was my logo. My manager had this idea that we had to get my face everywhere . So we made a stencil of my logo. To get the labels attention we spray painted my face in front of every record label in New York. And as soon as it was washed off we put it back. It actually help build my brand and giving it a face. Companies started calling me in to talk. From there I began putting my face on everything from t-shirts to money.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Starting from the bottom is scary for many. I had a very low paying job making $120 a week. Budgeting was a main tool. From every pay check I put aside $8.40 a week for 3 years and made $1,209.60 and spent it all on studio equipment (2010) from Guitar Center to start up the first chapter of my studio. I charge a $5 an hour for 5 months, and reinvested the money back into the studio to buy more equipment and I went to Home Depot to buy sheet rock to put up. By 2012 the full studio was in with a rate of $20 an hour. Today we are at $45 an hour with a full extension and up today equipment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spudbrooklyn.com
• Instagram: @spudbrooklyn
• Facebook: @spudbrooklyn
• Linkedin: @spudbrooklyn
• Twitter: @spudbrooklyn
• Youtube: @spudbrooklyn
• Other: www.spudinc.org

Image Credits
Sincere Capers