Location: Los Angeles, CA

Myspace

Urbansteez: Tell everybody your name and what area you represent?

Runway: Hey everybody this is Star West aka Runway Star. I was born and raised in the beautiful “City of Angels” Los Angeles, and right now I feel like I’m representing the world!

Urbansteez: How did you come up with your music name?

Runway: At first I was going by my real name Star West and at the time sampling was hot and Kanye had dropped  so anytime I played a track people would say that it sounded like something Kanye would make…then they would go “…and your last names West too..!” I’m a big Yeezy fan and it was a compliment but when you’re trying to make a name for yourself it hurts a little.

Now I was in the studio a lot so the floating joke around there was that I was a RUNAWAY, I never wanted to go home! So one day this rapper from Miami was in the studio and the first season of “Americas Next Top Model” premiered. He asked me why didn’t I audition and one of my friends yells out “cuz she’s a Runaway” and this guy says “nooo she’s not, she a Runway Star”…from then on out the guys at the studio would tease me about that guy and call me Runway as a joke but the name stuck! By the way I never saw that guy again, he was really sweet…thanks dude!

Urbansteez: Wow what a story… Nice lol!! Runway Star definitely flows!! How long have you been doing music and what made you get into music?

Runway: I grew up in music so this has been quite a long pursuit. I come from a family that has always been involved in the music biz. My father worked for songwriter and producer Deke Richards, also known as Dennis Lussier, one of many musicians/songwriters who were affiliated with Motown. Deke was a member of The Corporation, a hitmaking production team that wrote and produced  several notable songs for the The Jackson 5'  including "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", "Mama's Pearl", and "Maybe Tomorrow". Deke also wrote and produced for The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, and many others. His studio was the first studio I remember walking into as a little kid, it was soo cool…there was Michael Jackson and Diana Ross memorabilia everywhere, they would teach me what the equipment was and let me press buttons. I don’t think they really understood how fascinated I was with everything…it was like Christmas for me every time I got to go.

Urbansteez.com: Nice, you have that musical genius gene in your blood. How would you describe your style and why? And what do you feel you can bring to the table as a producer?

Runway: I love to make club songs…music you can party to so my style is like a cross between going to a red carpet event in Hollywood and then being totally down to go to the after party that’s in like Las Vegas! It’s fun, fresh and sexy. You get a little bit of everything.

What I bring to the table is an open mind with great resources to take your idea and turn it into a beautiful reality. Its one thing to pay for a track that someone made by programming it’s when you begin to bring in other talented artists/ collaborators  like singers, drummers, and various musicians to make that one song something bigger and better than what you had in mind.

Urbansteez: I love it! Being that you’re a female that produces beats what obstacles have you endured? What challenges do you have to face, being that missy Elliot is the only female producer that comes to mind?

Runway: There’s obstacles everyday in this business for men and women, but being a woman means you have to work smarter and harder. It took a while for people to take me seriously...when I would play my production demo folks would say that it was cute and all kinds of crazy things but I never let them get to me because I believe in myself and I compare what I make to what’s on the radio to ensure that the quality and relevance is there.

Then there are men who try to use your dream as a bargaining to get what they want. Before I signed with management I had been in situations that were a complete waste of time because some guy thought that I would either date him or sleep with him to get in the door. A lot of female artists think that that is ok to do but I’m on that Keri Hilson tip, I’m not sleeping with nobody to get where I need to go. The chosen choose themselves, and with hard work and persistence you can do anything.

Missy Elliot is the first female producer that comes into anyone’s mind. She is an industry pioneer that has held her spot for the longest but there are others and I am one of them. Its time for a new wave in our generation someone new to carry the torch.

Urbansteez: That wassup! If you had your pick which label to be signed to, which label would it be and why?

Runway: Whats the next label Jay-Z is headed to!? I would love to sign with Interscope; they hold a lot of artists I would love to work with, Timbaland, Pharrell, Will.I.Am, Rich Boy, Fergie, Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson, a lot of heavyhitters.

Urbansteez: I’m not to sure, but anything Jay has his hands on is golden….Who would you want to collaborate with in the music industry and why?

Runway: All the eezy’s ha ha, Weezy, Yeezy, Jeezy and T-Pain, Lady Gaga, Neyo, Rhianna, Rick Ross, Lloyd, Justin Timberlake. Oh Jay-Z and Beyonce too. I want to make music with artists that are changing the industry.

Urbansteez: I can dig that!! What beat Programs do you use? I can’t even front your beats are hot, how long does it take you to come up with a beat?

Runway: Thank you! I’m familiar with various production programs and keyboards so that when I’m in another studio I’m not lost. You handicap yourself if you focus on one program. It’s better to know a little bit about everything than a whole lot on one subject. I mainly use Protools and reason together with a midi controller.

Actual production time varies depending on what I’m reaching for sometimes it can take 10-15 mins other times I may get technical and spend a few days making things right.

Urbansteez: Good stuff…What are you working on now and when can fans expect to hear more from you?

Runway: Right now I have my hands on various projects from all over. My artists D.J. Ai  and  Jessica Chavez have albums in the works plus I just finished working on  The BloccStarrs compilation with westcoast artist Lavish, it has tracks produced by myself alongside Terrace Martin, J Classic, and Rhythm D. So be on the lookout for that soon. Plus Im working on my debut album too. You can hear more from me all the time I’m always working on something.

Urbansteez: Nice!! Where do you see yourself a year from now?

Runway: Who knows what the future holds. I’m making bigger progress every year, I’m only halfway through this year and things are moving fast independently. I’m just going to keep networking and building my career as always.

Urbansteez: So, who and what are your influences?

Runway: I am influenced by everyone and everything around me…everything has a story of origin and I love listening. Then I’m also influenced by the fear of quitting without knowing. I hate it when I hear artists say that if they don’t see the results of their labors in a certain amount of time then they quit! You may give up right before your time and cut yourself. So I will never quit.

My nickname at home is “Ms. Ross” because I love Diana Ross and then there’s Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, The Neptune’s, P Diddy, Jay- Z, I could go on forever!

Urbansteez: Well go ahead then Ms. Ross Lol…What do you think of the Hip hop music world right now?

Runway: I think that the hip hop world is in a state of rediscovery. We went into the 80’s for a bit but with artists like Jay-Z and Rick Ross dropping hits with amazing production things will come back around to its roots.

Urbansteez: Well said!!What music do you have playing in your sound system?

Runway: I have a great iTunes playlist it has Jay-Z, N.E.R.D, Portishead, Neyo, Keri Hilson, Beyonce, Jimi Hendrix Kanye, Justin Timberlake and a whole collection of great artists and producers.

Urbansteez: Who is your celebrity crush??

Runway: I would have to say it’s a toss up between Shia Labeouf, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams…don’t make me pick!  Shia aside I think it’s really sexy when a guy can sing and play the piano or guitar.

Urbansteez: Shia, I think him and Rihanna had a thing, all I know is I can’t wait to see “Transformers”. How can business heads and fans contact you in the future (MySpace, email, number, etc?)

Runway: I tweet so you can follow me on twitter.com/runwaystar, there’s myspace.com/runwaystarproductions, reverbnation.com/runwaystar or email management at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Urbansteez: ANY SHOT OUTS???

Runway: All my family and friends, Lavish, Jastone, Radio Aktive, D.J. A.i., Jessica Chavez, 030 Management Group, PolyRob, Tai Phillips, Flako, Dj Pro, and Rhythm D . We all work hard!

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