FFLYMUSIC.COM
Alexander Star
The bottom line in the music industry is this: “How many records can you sell?” So many artists are willing to give away their creative control rights for the quick cash and glorified images; but the money usually leaves them much more quickly than it came. The only image worth living is that of self. It’s one thing to be able to move units, but it takes something much deeper than talent to be able to move a person. This is why I’m here.
After finishing high school at the top of my class, pursuing my musical dream was the route I traveled instead of college. I became serious about my craft when I helped form the Free Agents Music Group in 2003 (Lex, Smoke Diggy and myself, Alexander Star). We had a fusion of Hip-Hop, R&B and Reggae which made us unique and our strong acapella performances allowed us to shine no matter where we were. We would perform anywhere, anytime…no music, mo microphones…just harmonies, beat-boxing and quality songs delivered live. Over the course of our unity as a group we performed hundreds of times at numerous venues, impressed plenty of “industry insiders”, and sold nearly 9,000 of our self-manufactured albums by hand (with no promotion!) We lived with Jerome James (of the New York Knicks) for over a year and a half, lived the “high life” and continued making great music. Our caliber of performances ranged from the busy street corners to opening up for major venues such as the Bob Marley Festival in Miami. The group took me from the night scenes of South Beach all the way up to the record label offices of New York City, all before my 21st birthday. My overall experience with the group was priceless, but in the end we were left wondering why after five years of phenomenal responses we still hadn’t signed a record deal. It became clear to me that before we could truly become a strong group, we would first need to become stronger individuals. I took a hiatus from the group and went back to college earning my Associates Degree in Radio and TV Broadcasting, all the while becoming a National Honor Scholar and earning a spot on the Dean’s List for academic performance.
In January of 2008, my first month away from the group, I wrote and recorded “Warrior 4 Life”, a song describing the world as I know it and my life as a type 1 diabetic. It was the first solo record I had written in five years. The beauty of this song and each of its successors is that from that point on I didn’t have to strain to write lyrics anymore...they just came. It’s like someone had flipped a switch on the back of my head creating a direct link between my subconscious values and my active thoughts. This marked the end of any sort of meaningless lyrics from me…I could no longer write what I did not believe in. And I’ve been discovering more and more within myself ever since I simply took the time to look. At night when I try to sleep, I find myself rolling over every few moments to type more lyrics into my phone. The words are sent to me as gifts, and I’m careful to appreciate every one I receive. But these words are the kinds of gifts you can’t ask for…if I’m not meant to write about something then the words won’t come. Consequently, when I do write, each lyric in my songs holds continuity with the concepts I create. I abide by the S.H.A.R.P. principle: Speak Honestly About Relevant Points.
I’ve also learned that it’s much more natural for me to offer what I have rather than to try and give the people what I think they would want. Mimicking someone else’s success would only earn me an empty spot somewhere in their shadow. The artists who achieve longevity in this business are the ones who remain true to who they are and evolve as they grow. I write about what’s real to ME and stay true to MY life. I write about what makes ME smile and what makes ME think. Positivity is in my core and my aim is toward helping create progress in the community as a whole. I will prove to the young people that an artist can be widely accepted and successful without making reckless music. To quote one of my records, “I ain’t here to preach, but I ain’t here to wreck your mind either.“ And although much of my work is serious, I love to be humorous and have fun with what I do. After all, “I want the paper…enough to break the stapler…enough to need my own machine to count my Benny Franklers…”
What makes my music special is that fact that it is universally friendly. You can play my records on BET and MTV and in the same breath play them on Nickelodeon or Disney. You can play my songs for an 8 year old or an 80 year old and not think twice about what I might say. I get my thoughts across quite effectively without using profanity. I can artistically express my physical and mental desires for a woman without disrespecting or objectifying her. I explore my imagination freely with no concern as to whether or not people will think I’m cool…and that’s what makes me cool.
So what do I actually do? I rap...and I sing...therefore I RING. I have solid lyricism in my heart, a nearly 4-octive vocal range, and the passion to inject my soul into every aspect of my music. Those who understand the ART in my HEART will support my VISION, and those who don’t understand me aren’t meant to. I know who I am and what I represent, and more importantly I know who I‘m not. If I were a superhero, I believe that God would choose some form of divine writing to encompass my superpower. Everything I would write would have a significant effect on human kind, therefore warranting a major responsibility on my part; a responsibility I feel every time I perform. “I’m not immortal. I don’t think I can fly. But mark my words; I WILL impact this world before I die!” There are clearly defined borders - stigmas, if you will - that separate positive, conscious music from mainstream commercial success in the music industry. I’m here to blur the lines.
*Autobiography written by Alexander Star*