Photo via Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/fredro_starr/
Veteran Hip-Hop artist and actor Fredro Starr, best known for his role in the hardcore rap group Onyx, recently shared a candid message for struggling artists urging them to prioritize financial stability and practical skills.
In an interview for BagFuel earlier this month, Starr recounted his journey, emphasizing the importance of hard work and resourcefulness in making a living. He recalled being discovered by the late Hip-Hop legend Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C., who initially mistook him for a drug dealer due to his impressive financial standing at the time. However, Starr clarified that his income was derived from cutting hair at a bustling barbershop in New York City during the late ’80s, where he catered to a clientele that included local drug dealers.
Starr’s advice to aspiring artists is straightforward: “Get a fucking job! Let me keep it real.” He underscored the necessity of self-sufficiency, urging artists to avoid relying solely on music for income. Drawing from his experiences, Starr emphasized the value of acquiring practical skills or pursuing alternative career paths, such as culinary arts, bartending, or vocational training.
He said, “Get a fucking job! Let me keep it real. When Jay met me, you know what he asked me? He asked me if I sell drugs. You know why? Because I was making money. I was cutting hair, first one in, last one out, in New York for real, in a real Tri-Barbershop. I was cutting hair here, my buddy was cutting hair there. Everybody was coming through the barbershop—all the drug dealers in ’86, ’87. I was cutting hair up the street from where Edward Burns got murdered on Lakewood in Inwood. I was standing on a crate, cutting hair because everyone was getting flat tops and I couldn’t reach. I was making money while the old man in the barbershop just read the paper all day. I had a line of guys waiting for me— “Who you waiting for, D? Who you waiting for, Dr. Who you waiting for, Dr.?” I had guys waiting, telling them to come back at 4:30, come back at 5:30. All these guys pulling up in Benzes—every one of them selling drugs.”
He continued, “So when I met Jay, he was like, ‘Are you selling drugs?’ I said, ‘Nah, I’m cutting.’ He couldn’t believe it. Like, bro, I cut hair. I had to figure out a way to make money and stay fly, you know what I’m saying? I had all the drug dealers—every one of them—so I was making a lot of money.”
He went on to advise, “But that being said, there shouldn’t be any struggling rappers. Get off your lazy ass and get a job. Learn something—be a cook, be a bartender, get a trade. Learn something, or work at McDonald’s. I mean, I’m not saying McDonald’s specifically—I’m just saying, get a job. You’ve got to get something to support yourself. Even when you get your coffee at Starbucks, they’ll spell your name right.”
Photo via Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/fredro_starr/
