Today we’d like to introduce you to Stony SOS.
Hi Stony, 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 story is really about turning struggle into purpose.
I’m Stony SOS, an artist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of SOSA Entertainment Group. Music has been a part of my life for years, but my journey has never been a straight or easy road. I come from an environment where survival can easily become more important than dreaming, and I’ve experienced setbacks, losses, homelessness, and moments where giving up probably would have been the easier choice.
One of the biggest turning points in my life came while Tiny and I were living in a homeless shelter in New York. We didn’t have much financially, but we had each other, a vision, and the belief that our circumstances didn’t have to determine where we ended up.
That was the environment SOSA Entertainment Group was built in.
We started from scratch. No big investors, no fancy office, no major industry machine behind us. Our first showcase was put together in a little run-down bar in Harlem. It definitely wasn’t glamorous 😂, but to us it represented something much bigger. We had taken an idea that existed in our heads and made it real.
From there, we just kept building.
Every event taught us something. Every mistake made us sharper. Every relationship expanded our network. We began learning different sides of the entertainment business—artist development, recording, production, marketing, music videos, interviews, showcases, content creation and promotion.
Eventually, SOSA Entertainment Group became bigger than just helping my own career. The vision became creating a platform where independent artists and creatives could actually receive opportunities, development and exposure.
At the same time, I never stopped being Stony SOS. I continued recording and releasing music, developing my sound and telling my story through my records. My music and my company really come from the same place: Success Over Struggle.
Today, we’re still building. I don’t look at where we are as the finish line—I look at it as proof of concept. We went from sitting in a homeless shelter talking about what we wanted our future to look like, to actually creating a company, producing events, releasing music and helping other artists pursue their own dreams.
There is still a long way to go, but that’s what makes the story special to me.
I know what it feels like to have almost nothing except a vision. So when I look at what we’re creating now, I don’t just see a business or a music career. I see proof that your starting point does not have to become your final destination.
We built this from the ground up together—and we’re still writing the story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges was trying to build something while we were still fighting to get ourselves into a better situation. When you’re dealing with homelessness and financial struggles, your first thought is supposed to be survival—not starting an entertainment company. But Tiny and I refused to let our circumstances kill the vision.
Money was a major obstacle in the beginning. We didn’t have investors or a huge budget behind us, so almost everything had to be built piece by piece. Sometimes that meant putting our own money into an event, figuring things out ourselves, or finding creative ways to make something happen with limited resources.
Another challenge was getting people to believe in the vision before there was anything for them to see. When you’re starting from zero, people don’t always take you seriously. We’ve dealt with people doubting us, opportunities falling through, artists not keeping their word, business relationships not working out, and events that didn’t go exactly as planned.
But every setback became education.
I also had to learn how to balance being Stony SOS the artist with being an entrepreneur. There are times when I have to put my own music to the side because I’m organizing an event, developing another artist, shooting content, handling business or making sure something gets done for SOSA Entertainment Group. Learning how to wear all of those hats without losing sight of my own career has been one of my biggest challenges.
The biggest lesson has been learning not to measure success by one bad day, one failed event or one person telling you no. We started with very little, so I’ve learned to appreciate progress differently. Something that might look small to somebody else can mean everything when you remember where you started.
The struggles haven’t disappeared—we’ve just gotten stronger, smarter and more prepared to handle them. Every obstacle has helped shape the way I move today, both as Stony SOS and as the person helping build SOSA Entertainment Group.
I believe Success Over Struggle because I’ve actually had to live it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Professionally, I consider myself more than just an artist. Stony SOS has grown into a brand, and over the years I’ve taught myself multiple sides of the entertainment industry because I never wanted my career to depend completely on somebody else giving me an opportunity.
I’m a recording artist, songwriter, producer, engineer, videographer and entrepreneur. I’m heavily involved in the creative process behind my music—from writing and recording to production, visuals, marketing and developing the concepts behind my releases. I like being able to take an idea from my head and actually build the world around it.
Musically, I specialize in hip-hop, but I don’t like putting myself inside one box. My music can be aggressive, vulnerable, melodic, motivational or personal depending on what I’m experiencing. A lot of what I create comes directly from my life, so when people hear Stony SOS, they’re hearing pieces of a real story rather than a character somebody created for me.
Outside of my own music, I’m the co-founder of SOSA Entertainment Group, which has allowed me to take everything I’ve learned and use it to help other independent artists. We work in areas including artist development, music production, recording, mixing and mastering, music videos, content creation, marketing, interviews, showcases and live events.
I’m especially proud of the platforms and opportunities we’ve been creating for independent artists. I know what it’s like to have talent and ambition but not necessarily have the connections, resources or knowledge to know what the next move should be. I want SOSA Entertainment Group to help bridge that gap.
What sets me apart is that I’m willing to learn every part of the process. If I don’t know how to do something, I’ll study it until I understand it. Instead of waiting for the perfect team, budget or opportunity, I’ve learned how to create with what I have and build from there.
I’m proud of the music I’ve created, but I’m even more proud that my creativity has evolved into something bigger than myself. I started out wanting people to hear Stony SOS. Now I’m building toward a future where SOSA Entertainment Group can become a real platform for the next generation of artists and creatives.
I’m an artist at heart, but ultimately, I’m a builder.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The first person I have to give credit to is Tiny. She’s been beside me through the part of the journey that most people never got to see. She was there when SOSA Entertainment Group was still just a vision, when we were living in a homeless shelter trying to figure life out, and she’s still here as we continue building it into something real. We built this from the ground up together, so when I talk about SOSA’s accomplishments, her name belongs in that story too.
I also have to give credit to the artists and clients who trust us, especially the artists in our development program. When somebody allows us to help develop their music, image, visuals, marketing and overall career, they’re trusting us with something they’ve probably dreamed about for years. That means a lot to me.
The artists and creatives who continue showing up to our showcases and networking events deserve credit too. You can create a platform, but without people believing in it enough to actually show up, participate, network and bring energy into the room, there is no community. They’re helping us build something bigger than any one artist.
And I can’t forget my fans and supporters—the people who stream the music, share the videos, come to events, repost something, send encouragement or have simply stayed locked in with me throughout the journey. Some people have been watching and supporting Stony SOS long before SOSA Entertainment Group became what it is today.
Every stream, every ticket, every artist who trusts us, every person who walks into one of our events and every person who tells somebody else about what we’re building matters.
Tiny helped me build the foundation, our artists and clients give the company purpose, and the people who support us give us a reason to keep pushing forward.
None of this is being built alone.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstonysos?igsh=d2xpYzJlYjB3dHZv&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D3QJhi4oA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/dMZkGhaS2FM
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qJIjFzjhFA0iwLtbtbqf0
