Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Entrepreneur Brings the Beat

With a hit single on iTunes and his songs circulating Internet radio stations, Darnell Bland,Jr. (MSB’15)  is anything but your typical business student.  Double-majoring in marketing and management and having a concentration in entrepreneurship, Bland is also quickly making a name for himself in the music world.

How did you get into the music business?
I actually am a songwriter, so that’s how I started. I’ve been writing songs since I was about 11 years old, and the funny thing is I never thought anyone would actually hear my music. I started writing with my brother one summer and that’s how I got into writing professionally. That was fall of freshman year at Georgetown.

As far as becoming an artist, that came a little bit later. I started networking and writing for other people. Once time progressed, I realized I really didn’t like the music I heard on the radio, and I feel that if I don’t like something I might as well do something about it. I figured, why not start a record label?

I did some research in the end of April and beginning of May, and by July 1, I had the business together. My record label is called Warrior Star Entertainment.

What is the inspiration behind the name of your record label?
I have a warrior mentality. I believe that everything in life that is worth having is worth working hard for.

I feel like every artist is unique. I feel like every artist or producer or writer is a star in their own right, and if they are guided the right way they can be a superstar. My label is fighting for the underdogs. One thing that I’ve noticed is that mainstream record labels actually like to mold and change their artists to the point where they’ve created a whole new person. I don’t believe in doing that.

What are your goals with the future of the record label?
I’m open to signing all genres. I do R&B and I rap sometimes, and I also have another artist named B Harms — who is also my brother — who is an R&B singer as well. Right now, we just have R&B singers, but I really want to get more into rap and alternative and indie artists as well. I like that they’re different and have positive messages and a unique sound. But I’m open to anybody, as long as they have a good vision of what they want.

The music that we’re releasing is intellectual, it’s positive, it’s clean, it’s very honest,but still commercially viable. You won’t hear a bunch of over-sexual or drug references.

What inspired you to produce your single “Killin’ Everybody?”
I wrote that during freshman year  in 30 minutes. I actually bought a track from an underground producer, and I loved the way it sounded. It was very infectious. I wanted to do something crazy, something that was completely out of my personality. I wanted to do something that would get people interested, something that was commercially viable since it would be my first release.

How has it been received?
The song is receiving such good reviews from strangers as well as friends and family as well as my peers here. It’s just awesome because it makes me realize I’m meant to do music as well as business.

I have not heard one negative comment about the song at all. It’s on iTunes and Internet radio —iHeartRadio, Spotify, Pandora, you name it. It’s been receiving a lot of plays. My song has been played in Barbados, Hong Kong, Australia and all over the UK. It’s been very well received. I’ve been very, very happy.

What goes into the recording process?
The recording process is fun. It can be long; so I think it’s best to go into the studio knowing ahead of time what you want to do. But if I could, I would live in a studio.

You take a couple of lines from a song and then you layer it, you stack vocals, harmonies, background vocals, everything that you need for the song, any effects you want to put on your voice.

Any future projects in the works?
I’m in the process of recording an EP. I’m shooting for a January release. I have another single that’s coming out in mid- to late October that’s called “In Your Arms.” It’s very vulnerable, and it’s about the initial phases of a relationship and vulnerability from a male point of view. I want to take music back to the days where when you spoke about love, it’s actually about love and not necessarily anything else.

I’m really leaning towards having seven songs [on my EP] with one intro. The EP is called Expose, and it’s about my introduction to the music industry as an artist.

You can find him on his Facebook page Darnell, or on Twitter at @Darnell_Junior.

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