27147717
In a city made up of small neighborhoods, where everybody knows everybody, two local men made their network work for them.
About a year ago, Vincent DeFino, a lawyer with family-owned DeFino Law Associates at 18th and Ritner streets, met O.G. at traffic court. O.G. approached DeFino, now 40, in the parking lot and complimented his sleek, black 745i BMW, adding he once represented a singer who had posed for a picture in front of a similar model. O.G. — which stands for Original Genius — the one-time producer/manager for Southwest Philly rapper Reed Dollaz and DeFino struck up what DeFino deemed an "intellectual conversation" about the way each lived their lives. The two exchanged business cards with O.G. giving DeFino one of Dollaz’s mixed tapes.
"We call it the ‘divine intervention’ that our paths met," DeFino said.
Little did DeFino know his day in traffic court would turn into Beyond Bars Records, a company run by locals that’s quickly making its way in the world of music — a business that often takes years to get noticed in, with credibility coming even later.
After 10-year-old son Vince Jr., a fan of rap, urged him on, DeFino listened to what O.G. had handed him. What struck him the most were the lyrics’ deep meaning and a professional sound he described as "radio quality."
He immediately took it to long-time friend Anthony Renzulli Sr., owner of The Twin Shoppe at 10th and Tasker streets, with whom DeFino had worked with as president of the South Philadelphia Businessmen’s Association.
"Anthony knows everybody in the world," DeFino said. "He knows people from Yale to jail. I just wanted somebody at a record label."
But Renzulli, 53, wasn’t keen on popping it in the player, either.
"[He] says, ‘Don’t even come near me with it,’" DeFino joked, adding neither was a fan of the rap genre. "But then I got Little Anthony turned onto it."
Anthony Renzulli Jr., 35, lent an ear and DeFino recalled him saying, "Man, this kid’s really good."
Soon, Renzulli Sr. was onboard and taking action. He called friend Wayne Styles, a music producer from West Philly. Styles, DeFino and Renzulli Sr. met with Dollaz and had every intention of working as a managing team to get him signed to a major label since O.G. was not representing Dollaz when DeFino met him.
"When Wayne listened, he said, ‘You’d be nuts to let this guy go.’ He said we could finance him ourselves," DeFino said.
So they drew up a plan and a budget and went to local businesses like Galdo’s, 20th Street and Moyamensing Avenue, and Direct Air, 25th and Wharton streets, soliciting investments. The label is headquartered in the same building as Renzulli Sr.’s cigar business with the latter serving as president and DeFino as CEO.
"We started it thinking, ‘We’re going to put out a simple album, see what happens,’" Renzulli Jr., who works 12-hour days in Beyond Bars’ artist and repertoire department, said. "If we made it, we made it. Eventually, everybody got so involved, we weren’t going to turn back."
After the initial meeting with Dollaz in February 2007 they hit the ground running and haven’t stopped. Dollaz — a 21-year-old who prides himself on lyrics that never demean women nor endorse violence — recorded his first song with Beyond Bars in a kitchen at a 13th-and-Johnson-streets house last March, which is when Dollaz signed his contract.
Renzulli Jr. started asking around at other studios, and soon Dollaz was working with the area’s best: producer Saint Man, who is behind Dollaz’s first single "Toast to This" that is already online and on local radio; Kelo, The Roots’ producer who was at the board for Dollaz’s "Shut Up;" and Scott Storch, who’s produced hits like 50 Cent’s "Candy Shop" and Beyonce’s "Baby Boy."
"Toast to This" will be serviced to play nationally — rather than on mainstream radio "mix shows," where DJs play songs of their choosing and oftentimes showcase little-known artists — at the end of this month. Florida-based Storch, who gave Dollaz the tune "Party Party" in the fall, is working with him on his first album, the 13-track EMI Records-distributed "… And Then Came Reed," which drops April 15.
Much like Dollaz’s forthcoming effort, Beyond Bars strives for more than just a catchy song, which is the reason behind the company’s name that was sparked by Renzulli Sr.’s wife, Marie, during a brainstorming session.
"We were all coming up with something with music bars, drawing notes, drawing little notes on top of music bars," Renzulli Jr. said. "We said, ‘Behind Bars,’ but ‘Beyond Bars’ worked. It means what we do is deeper than music. We’re going to take it to another level, add other artists. We’re looking to expand deeper than music."
Beyond Bars shot the "Toast to This" video in the fall in Center City and recently sent it to BET after it aired locally on shows like public television’s "Urban X-pressions." Dollaz’s rap battles — competitions where rappers go one-on-one to see who can turn out the best rhymes — for which he first became noticed when he was 12, can be seen on YouTube, where he’s gotten 14 million views.
Dollaz’s success with Beyond Bars is undeniable. He’s appeared on BET’s "106 & Park on Freestyle Friday," received a call of praise and encouragement from 50 Cent, who told Dollaz he kept hearing and seeing his name online and on the radio.
Currently, Beyond Bars is working on getting the word out about Dollaz, having just wrapped a meet-and-greet tour mostly through the South, where the rapper’s music is on many mix shows. Dollaz and Renzulli Jr. traveled through New Orleans; Jackson, Miss.; Dallas, Texas; and Oklahoma City, where they rubbed elbows with local DJs.
"This way, they become familiar with Reed and start a relationship," Renzulli Jr. said.
Renzulli Jr. is Dollaz’s go-to guy and runs most of the company’s day-to-day. Once a week he conference calls his father, DeFino, Dollaz’s manager Pietro Pace — who owns Pietro Jewelers on 15th Street and Packer Avenue — and the investors to keep them abreast of all of the happenings.
"It’s constant phone calls and e-mails," Renzulli Jr. said. "I have artists contacting me every day to listen to their tracks or they want Reed to do a track for them.
"This is my main focus — to make this record work, I don’t stop."
Right now, the spotlight remains on Dollaz, Renzulli Jr. said. The company, he added, has long-term plans to sign more artists, most likely from the pop genre, in addition to hopes of branching out into films and television.
For the others, who maintain their day-to-day businesses, a love has developed, too, for something they saw as an opportunity to lend a helping hand to a growing artist.
"Hard work and determination," Renzulli Jr. said of the reasons for their success. "We got 150 percent support from everybody; they came together to keep it together."
