Category: Featured Entrepreneur

Posted on

Meet Pyro Da Arsonist

Pyro Da Arsonist

Pyro (Efrain Velazquez III) born in the Chelsea area of New York City, of Puerto Rican descent had the pleasure of discovering the roots hip hop at an early age. Instantly, falling in love was an understatement, what became a hobby transformed into a career. As time progressed, Pyro pushed himself to constantly step out the box leaving room for growth. Wearing many hats, from Hip Hop artist to radio personality has led him to have many opportunities including having his own Radio show ” The Vibe Lounge” on DTF Radio. Pyro is determined, focused and excited towards the future as he continue to climb the ladder to get to the top.

The Artistry had the privilege of sitting down with Pyro Da Arsonist, interview him as we learned more of his journey.

V-Henny:  What and who inspired you to pursue the music industry?

Pyro Da Arsonist: Music has always been a big part of my life since young. My mom used to go out dancing a lot with her friends so while she was getting ready I would hear a lot of DooWop and Disco music and whenever I was with my father I would hear a lot of Rock, Freestyle and R&B Funk music. By the time I was 11 years old I started listening to a lot of hip hop like Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr, EPMD & Eric B. & Rakim just to name a few. Music just hooked me from the beginning.

V-Henny: What were some of the steps you had to take to get to within your career?

Pyro Da Arsonist: Honestly one of the biggest steps which I’m still taking til this day is learning to be more confident, less timid & to stop doubting myself. 

V-Henny: Knowing that you started off as an Hip Hop artist to then transition into a radio personality, was that an easy transition to make? 

Pyro Da Arsonist: Yes and no. Yes because I love music so I’m always looking forward to hearing someone new or someone different and I think I have a pretty good ear for music. No because I had no idea how to conduct an interview as far as what questions to ask and how in depth to go with those questions.

V-Henny: Looking back then to where you’re at now, give me a moment that made an impact within your career. 

Pyro Da Arsonist: I would have to say performing at SOB’s. That crowd was amazing and they showed me so much love and they were really into my music. I definitely left that stage with a little bit more confidence.

V-Henny:  In order to succeed in life you have to know how to give credit and give back . Who would you give credit to for your success thus far?

Pyro Da Arsonist: First would be my family, especially my wife and daughter who push me to believe in myself and what I’m capable of. As far as music that goes to A.D. The General (R.I.P) & Ms. Fefe, they were the first ones to play my music on radio and got the ball rolling. Radio wise I would give that to The Choice of NYC and Jeshaze. They are the ones who let me join their show Lyrically Live with absolutely no radio experience. I sat back and watched and learned from them. Lastly when it comes to writing blogs that goes to you Vee. Your confidence and trust in me pushes me to be a better writer. I appreciate and love you guys!

V-Henny: Has it been a smooth road for you as an influencer? Elaborate on a struggle you are most proud of overcoming.

Pyro Da Arsonist: It’s funny because I don’t feel like I’m an influencer, I’m just a lover of talent and I love helping people show that talent to the world any way I can. As far as a struggle I’m proud of overcoming is not caring what people think or say about me. I’ve learned to just ignore it.

V-Henny: If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

Pyro Da Arsonist: I would love to see the industry more supportive of each other. There is enough opportunities for everyone to win. Let’s build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

V-Henny:  Please share with us the content behind your new show “The Vibe Lounge”

Pyro Da Arsonist: It’s about a vibe!!! I want every guest that walks through that door to leave with a great and memorable experience. It’s not just about Hip Hop and R&B either, you will hear all kinds of genre of music and will see many different talents on the show. Artists, Authors, Clothing Designers, Actors, Activists or any other entrepreneurs are welcome to come on the show. 

V-Henny: What is one message you would give to your fans? 

Pyro Da Arsonist: I would say thank you for the love and support. It pushes me to go harder and not give up. I truly appreciate and love you all. 

V-Henny: Is there anything else you would like the world to know about you?

Pyro Da Arsonist: I’m always willing to help in any way possible if I can. So don’t be afraid to reach out. 

Make sure to follow Pyro Da Arsonist on all platform.

Posted on

Meet Luisa Maria

Born as a Bronx Native, fearless with a big voice and an even bigger personality, Maria understood that to be great you have to do great. Overcoming obstacle as she continue to grow her brand is the definition of a true go getta . Maria is a bright star working hard, proving the world that she has what it takes to be a Model & entrepreneur that she is destine to be. She is not stopping nor does she intends to as she turns this dream of hers into a realty.

Meet Luisa Maria as she speaks with V-Henny about her journey.


V-Henny: Who inspired you ? 
Luisa Maria: Growing up with women who looked like me in my family made me proud, also Ashley Graham 
V-Henny: What were some of the steps you had to take to get to within your career?
Luisa Maria: I had to practice poses and face expressions, and get a good portfolio shots every few months as my look changed. I had to submit these photos to agency’s hoping they would get back to me. 
V-Henny: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Luisa Maria: To invest in myself even if it feels like nothing is changing. 
V-Henny: If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Luisa Maria: I would change the way we get paid months after doing a photo shoot. I don’t think that’s fair. V-Henny: What is one message you would give to your fans? 
Luisa Maria: To never ever give up. But to also not put your self worth into what gigs you get or what jobs you’re waiting to hear back from. 


V-Henny: Looking back then to where you’re at now, give me a moment that made an impact within your modeling career.
Luisa Maria: In 2020 I was on the verge of quitting modeling because I’ve been trying to get signed to any agency for 5 years. But I told myself let me just do one more portfolio shoot and try one one more time. 2 week after I did that I was signed! 
V-Henny: How long have you had this creative vision and what pushes you to
be consistent ?
Luisa Maria: I didn’t believe in the 9-5 work life that society has ingrained into our heads. I’ve always been creative weather it was singing, acting or writing I knew working at a desk job will never bring me true joy. 
V-Henny: In order to succeed in life you have to know how to give credit and 
give back . Who would you give credit to for your success thus far? 
Luisa Maria: I would give credit to my family who always believed in me even if they didn’t understand my vision. And to my amazing agent. 
V-Henny: Has it been a smooth road for you as a creative/model? Elaborate on a struggle you are most proud of overcoming.
Luisa Maria: It hasn’t been smooth because as empowering of a women I am to be plus size and owning it, I still struggle with body image. I’ve learned to accept myself at whatever stage I am in life and be graceful and patient to myself. 
V-Henny: What’s next?
Luisa Maria: To keep modeling while taking more care of my Health in all aspects, I would like to get more into acting and singing as those are my roots. And to do more glam shoots instead of mostly lifestyle and fitness jobs I’m getting now. 

You can follow Luisa Maria on Instagram and her work listed below.

Posted on

Meet Abwon

Today the Artistry has the privilege of interviewing filmmaker and media personality Abwon. The Irvington, NJ native started out as a recording artist before transitioning to media and production as well as launching his own company “Moonlight Media LLC”. With different projects such as short films, music videos and  reality TV, Abwon has been keeping himself busy. A star on the rise, proving that he is definitely someone we should keep an eye on.

Pyro Da Arsonist: When did your music career start and what led you to that path?

Abwon: Music was always a passion of mine, when I was growing up I’ve always wanted to be involved in the creation process no matter what role I was in. 

Pyro: When did you decide to expand into media and production and how did launching your own media company come about?

Abwon: I’ve always done video production, but at first it was just for fun, I didn’t care about lighting or sound or anything like that. I just wanted to be on camera and express myself. So I wasn’t creating any new music at the time and I decided to start my Youtube channel. A couple of my film reviews went viral and that’s when I started really taking media production seriously. After a few months, I started my interview series ‘Face2Face’ and my now business partner Jen and I had a conversation one night like, let’s just start this company, we’re already heading in that direction. I come from a family of successful business owners, so it was inevitable for me. A few weeks later Moonlight Media LLC was born, and the rest Is history. 

Pyro: You won an award for your short film “Errands”. What was your reaction when you first found out you were up for the award and how was your short film brought to their attention?

Abwon: So when we finished production on Errands I told everyone we weren’t going to show anyone this movie, we were only going to submit it to film festivals and then have a one time premiere and that was it. I know festivals are extremely difficult to get into, I wasn’t even thinking about winning honestly. I told myself if I made it to at least one festival then that’s a W. Right now, Errands already has 5 nominations with 1 win which is crazy to me in a good way. Everything’s a bit surreal, but I’ve never doubted my ability. At the same time accolades are nice so I’m not complaining. The trophy will be here in a few weeks, you know it’s real at that point. 

Pyro: Besides the award you also had one of your videos garner 3.5 Million Views. Which one do you feel is the bigger accomplishment?

Abwon: Definitely Errands. When I first started my Top5 series those videos were going viral left and right, but I didn’t put much effort into them, and I didn’t care about the production value they were just for entertainment purposes. Errands I wrote, directed, and produced. It took maybe 2 months for preparation, and it’s based on something I went through, so I was way more hands on with it. People lick ice cream out of the freezer in supermarkets and get millions of views, but they can’tsay they’ve won an award for a film they’ve made. It just hits different when you know it’s something people respect and hold to higher standards.

Pyro: Tell us about your show “The Cinematics” and how did it get picked up by the Hall Mills Network on Roku?

Abwon: My business partner Jen and I started that as a Youtube show. We discuss news in the film industry, upcoming films, trailer reviews, and we have our own respective segments as well. HallMillsNetwork was looking for new content for their channel, so I sent them one of the episodes we did to Grimm, one of the owners of the Network. He immediately called me excited about it and after the paperwork was handled, the Cinematics went to the next level. Shout out to Big Vegg too, he’s the producer. We also accept music to curate our episodes, so any artists or producers looking for more exposure can contact our musical director at ElijahMajestic@gmail.com. All genres are welcomed. 

Pyro: You signed a co-production deal for an upcoming TV Show “Only At Jay’s” starring Fetty Wap. How did that come about?

Abwon: My Youtube started gaining some traction and someone hit me up asking if I was interested in producing a reality show. I didn’tknow much about the family that wanted to do it, I was just told they have celebrity clientele and they’ve been in Paterson for years and do a lot of good for the community. We setup a meeting and that’s when I found out Fetty’s involvement with them. I wouldn’t say Fetty’s the star he’s just a featured guest. I don’t want to take away from the importance of the family, anyone who lives in Paterson or frequently visits knows who they are. 

Pyro: What is one of the most memorable interviews you have conducted?

Abwon: Definitely Ron Savage, the IG Comedian. He was on his way to stardom and I’m not saying that just because I interviewed him. Everyone I interview, I stay in contact with them and keep up to date with everything they’re doing and vice versa. He DMed me one day saying he was ready to post the interview and he gave me the date he wanted it to drop. The day the interview dropped he passed away. RIP to him. 

Pyro: What advice would you give to independent artists or any other person starting their brand or business on how to use media to their advantage? 

Abwon: Know your audience, don’t clout chase, and stop making excuses. 

Pyro: Are there any other projects that you’re working on that you can share with us?

Abwon: I’m working on a grocery list of projects so I’ll try and narrow them down. My second film ‘Feed’ will be releasing this summer, I Assistant Directed a film titled ‘Moonless Nights’ starring Justin Hurtt-Dunkley from Mare of Easttown on HBO that will be released soon, I’m Executive Producing a musical project with Trini The Body that’s in the works, and my 3rd film ‘Daily Bread’ will be starting pre-production in the fall. At the very least you can still tap into my Youtube channel and check out my individual content.

Thank you for sitting down with us. We appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to let us and our readers know more about you.

You can follow his work

Only At Jay’s TV Show Trailer: 

Fetty Wap-Way Past 12 (my company did the lighting)

Interview with Actor Johnell Young

Trini The Body-Paper Music Video (I Executive Produced this) 

Indigenous Trailer: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLnbkEoFn9h/?igshid=hiltsim5ybvb

https://www.instagram.com/abwonuno/

Posted on

Meet William Benson “Billionaires Row”

“Luxury starts where functionality ends and where the true value is personal and so has no price or reason”. -Marcel Wanders 

William Benson is a shining example of transferring career skills into entrepreneurial endeavors. His corporate financial background gave him the legs he needed to navigate his brand prosperously through the high-end liquor industry. Benson held the title of Senior Manager at Tyche Capital. Tyche Capital is “a venture capital firm that focuses on investments in early and early growth stage companies with disruptive technologies”.William Benson gained financial strategy tools by way of managing a myriad of clients which included Fortune 500 companies and emerging technology firms. His affluent clientele did not discourage him from working with start-up media companies as well. 

William Benson is the founder of Benson and Benson, “a multi-national Consulting firm & Real Estate Investment Group, who specializes in developing and actualizing Real Estate investment strategies”. These two different worlds gave Benson the fiscal tactics he needed to successfully launch and sustain “Billionaire Row”. “Billionaire Row” is a “global luxury brand which designs, develops, and markets luxury goods for the modern trendsetting and affluent customer”. If his products resemble the fluidity of his website then there is no doubt in my mind why he keeps such an opulent patronage. The silky representation used to showcase his Brut Rose Champagne and Brandy Cuvee XO, sets the tone for purchase purpose. Each product details ingredients, describes their scent and taste for connoisseurs, explains the best food pairing options, and includes a cocktail recipe for those who’d prefer a mixed drink (brandy). 

“Billionaire Row” has been the drink of choice at star-studded events such as: Kris Jenner’s Haute Living Magazine Cover debut event, The Weeknd and Selena Gomez’s Birthday Bash, and The 4th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards at the Sunset Tower in West Hollywood.

“We are suggesting a new kind of opulence, of intelligent indulgence over blind gluttony”. -Naeem Khan 

William Benson’s philanthropy is just as impactful as his global luxury brand. Accompanied by his consulting services, Benson is a board member of Unspoken Smile. This New York based, non-governmental organization specializes in free dental care for children worldwide. In 2016, “Billionaire Row” launched their company by way of Gabrielle’s Angel Ball Foundation. This event, orchestrated by her mother Denise Rich, commemorates the successful life of Gabrielle Angel who lost her fight with cancer. Industry elites poured out a total of $3.7 million for this cause. William Benson’s initial alignment with a charitable organization pushed the positive intention of his company. By 2017, “Billionaire Row” was recognized at the Unite4:Humanity award ceremony and gala.

“Billionaire Row” is a beautiful representation of Black opulence. William Benson is breaking through a stigma and giving a blueprint for young entrepreneurs of color to prosper. 

Website: http://williamlbenson.com/