Quanstar is the ultimate “indie” hip hop artist. His DIY attitude, insatiable need to create, and “control freak” tendencies have allowed him to flourish and accomplish more than many of his contemporaries signed to “major” labels with bigger budgets.
Born in Compton, Ca, Quanstar attributes his earliest exposure to hip hop culture to his cousin. It was through him that Quanstar found out about artists like Run DMC, The Sugarhill Gang, The Fat Boys, and Kurtis Blow. After that Beat Street, Breakin', and Wild Styles took over; however, the one single moment that made him a bona fide “hip hop head” was seeing LL Cool J perform “Radio” in the movie, Krush Groove. At that point he got it, and knew that's what he wanted to be.
In the years following, whether it was showing off his fancy footwork on cardboard, rhymin on the street corner about cars driving by, or taggin up his notebook in class when he should be listening to the teacher, Quanstar was completely immersed in hip hop culture. By the time he was 16, he was known as the fiercest freestyler in his neighborhood, and winning competitions all over the Los Angeles area.
Later relocating to Georgia to attend Clark Atlanta University, Quanstar kept doing much of the same, building a name for himself on campus and hip hop circles around the city. It was here that he originally met fellow MC and future business partner, Evaready RAW. In 2002, they started the hip hop band, First Team.
Around that same time, Quanstar and Evaready noticed that many of their contemporaries signed to labels began complaining about the lack of fiscal and creative control they had with their careers. So the two decided to go in the footsteps of rappers like Ice Cube, El-P, Atmosphere, and the Hieroglyphics Crew by taking ownership of their careers and starting First Team Music.
Originally used only to professionally oversee their careers, First Team Music has since blossomed into a multi-faceted media company developed from the perspective of the independent musician. Among its many operations: a label, tour management company, booking agency, and Android app development firm. All with Quanstar at the captain's helm steering the ship.
Quanstar's resume is undeniable. In just a little over 20 years in the business he dropped 10+ albums, been the subject of a documentary, released a book, written and directed several short films, and written and directed his first feature film. He's also had an online cooking show (Cooking with Quanstar), and occasionally writes a blog about his experiences as an indie hip hop artist.
A leader in indie music, Quanstar uses hip hop to set the bar high and stretch the boundaries of art and music in hopes to influence and increase opportunities for others.