Today we’d like to introduce you to JUICE Dukes.
Hi JUICE, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My first love and passion is music. Since a kid I’ve always been around the industry through my older brother. He started off rapping and was really good at it, but was way better and marketing his brand/himself. I remember walking my first red carpet with him at the age of 13. He use to take me everywhere with him because I’d keep him awake when we’d be driving home from different events.
Barbering didn’t become a thing to me until I graduated high school. I use to have a homie who was already working in a shop by Junior year and I use to see the hustle. Back then I was engaging in activities a teenager shouldn’t do in order to make money. So after graduation I decided I was going to chase all my dreams and hustle while I’m doing it. I had the choice of going to barber school (because I had never cut hair a day in my life) or going to Los Angeles Recording School. One was a hustle and one was a passion and dream. I had a talk with my brother and he told me to go to barber school because I can make money while still attending school. He told me it’s hard to break into the industry but still keep trying while providing for myself.
Overtime barbering became a love of mines, almost like a mistress because I was investing my money right back into music. I started a record label, G.O.L.D. Records. G.O.L.D. meaning ‘Gifted Outlawz Livin Dreams’ a slight tribute to 2Pac who had the Outlawz. I use to put together shows and my artist opening up for major artist at The Observatory in OC. I was really cool with the promoter at the time. While all this was going on I was still joint to my brothers hip so as he progressed into becoming a PR for major celebrities and eventually owning his own marketing company. Different artist, actors and major companies/brands would hire him and he’d have me work for him on a lot projects especially when he was working with BET and Netflix.
I actually stopped barbering for about a year and a half because I had got hired to be a Production Manager for a production company that was working with Disney/ESPN. During this time I realized I have a passion for entertainment in its entirety. I loved working in TV/Film just as much as I loved music/managing/ A&R. At this time I decided to take a step back from production management so I can finally attend Los Angeles Recording School (10yrs later). It takes up a lot of time learning how to produce and engineer and just learning more of the entertainment business. This brought me back to barbering because I still had to make an income to support myself and barbering is very flexible. You create your own schedules so I was able to make it fit around my school schedule. It’s hard to do that as a production manager because you run the whole set and prepare everyone for it. I’d also be in NY a lot and just traveling in general so I felt I wouldn’t be able to do production management at the same time. So that’s where I’m at right now. I complete music production in November of 2025 and I’m excited to see where it takes me. I may possibly jump back into production management until I find my space and sweet spot within music. However, I’ll always be in the entertainment BUSINESS. And that’s my favorite part, THE BUSINESS. I’ve never wanted the limelight but I’ve always loved this industry!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is ever a smooth road. There’s been times where I’ve invested into artist’s studio time and performances just for them to turn their back. And I was paying for everything with my own money through barbering. There was times where I didn’t know how the money was going to come in because I had put so much into music that barbering was taking a backseat so the money was slowing up but my connections were growing. It’s like when one was up the other was down. Trying to find that balance is hard without spreading yourself so thin. There was a time where I lived in a music studio/ on my mother’s couch. But I strongly believe none of it was for nothing. My time is coming
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a true entrepreneur. I’m a Barber, I’m a Production Manager, I’m a Talent Manager , I’m a CEO and now I’m adding that I’m a Music Producer. The goal is to be the best Entertainment/Music Mogul that the industry has seen.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The most major risk I took was quitting barbering. I decide I was going to go all in with trying to break in the industry. I use to go to my brothers office and help him and he use to say “you can’t do both, how you going to be here when you gotta be at the shop” I don’t think he said that meaning quit barbering, I actually think he meant the opposite lol as in focus on barbering. The next day I showed up to the office at 9am and he looked confused ahaha I told him I packed up everything and I’ma work for him. He said I’m full staffed I can’t pay you right now but you can still work to build your resume in PR/marketing. So that’s what I did hoping I’d catch something or that he’d eventually start paying me ahahah. I was going brokeeeeeee. And maybe a week before I was deciding to swallow my pride to go back into the shop. He plugged me with the CEO of the production company that’s I ended up working for and becoming a production manager which I knew nothing about. But it was a true blessing for God. You just got to keep faith and keep going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/juicedukes
