DRU HA

Pure Hip-Hop. Ask any urban music industry insider and that’s what they’ll say about Duck Down. Its co-founders Dru Ha (Drew Friedman) and Buckshot established Duck Down in 1994 as a management company to handle the day-to-day activities for the Hip-hop classic groups: Black Moon and Smif-n-Wessun. Dru has been running the marathon with Hip-hop ever since, fine tuning his skills in production, marketing, promotion, distribution, artist development, and establishing solid proven relationships within the music industry.
After graduating Syracuse University (New House School of Communications) with an advertising degree, Dru Ha, interned at SBK under Rob Stone. At EMI, Dru worked College Radio Promotions for multi-platinum acts Vanilla Ice and Arrested Development. Stone, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Marketing and Fader Magazine, eventually helped Dru land a job at Nervous Records, an independent house label who was looking to establish a presence in the growing world of Hip-hop. With no preexisting staff, Dru helped create a Hip-hop department for the label including: mixshow radio promotion, video promotion, publicity, retail, and advertising; all of which Dru directed.
With his new position Dru wasted little time turning Nervous, a small house indie, into a major player in the Hip-hop game. His sturdy relationship with venerable DJ, Funkmaster Flex, facilitated his signing to Nervous Records. Dru was quickly in charge of handling the promotions and marketing of a DJ who would soon become the most powerful mixer in the industry.
With executive production credits from Dru, Black Moon’s classic Enta Da Stage would take off nationwide selling over 400,000 copies on the indie Nervous label. Dru and Buck formed Duck Down Management and signed Smif-n-Wessun to Nervous. With Dru executive producing the groups debut album, Da Shinin’, sales reached an impressive 300, 000 units. Duck Down Management began to grow with the signings of Heltah Skeltah and Originoo Gun Clappaz. Dru seized the opportunity to make the transition for Duck Down from a management company to record label. Brian Turner, CEO of Priority Records (home to Ice Cube, N.W.A., Master P.,) provided the first official home for Duck Down Records.
At a time where the major independent label Priority was occupied with releases from Jay-Z, Ice Cube and Master P., Dru concentrated on developing his own East coast artists. A clever marketing plan combined two of his groups, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. into one group called the Fab 5. Releasing a single and video by the Fab 5, “Leflah” (which went on to sell 100,000 singles), allowed Duck Down/Priority to introduce two new groups under one marketing budget. This paved the way for Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C.’s debut albums to sell over 300,000 and 200,000 copies, respectively. Dru took pride in introducing innovative marketing ideas, which included some of the first “Van Wraps” and edgy “movie themed” videos which Dru also directed.
Many people were watching Duck Down’s artistic growth even one of Hip-hop’s iconic figures. In 1996, the late great Tupac Shakur flew out Dru and his artists to work on and record One Nation, an album that would attempt to show solidarity between the East and West coasts. Although Pac’s death ended any aspirations of putting out One Nation and exposing Duck Down to a greater audience, Dru never once wilted. He simply moved on taking even more knowledge with him as he learned from the opportunity to work with Tupac about the strategy of recording quickly and effectively.
Under Dru’s direction at Priority, Duck Down artists would go on to work with some of the biggest names in Hip-hop including collaborations with Mary J Blige (Smif-n-Wessun: “I love you (remix)”) Tupac (BCC: “Better Days”), Method Man (Heltah Skeltah “Gunz N Onz”), Spike Lee (Buckshot “Crooklyn Dodgers”), Wyclef (Cocoa Brovaz “Where’s the Party”), and fallen songbird Aaliyah who recorded “Night Riders” with the Boot Camp Clik for Duck Down Records.
Always one looking for that new spark that will lead the next movement in Hip-hop Dru stayed with his ears to the street. In 1997, Dru witnessed an unsigned Eminem at NYC’s Lyricist Lounge. Dru set up meetings with Em and Priority, but the label (Priority) decided to pass on the MC.
Dru would soon launch Vision Marketing. The agency provided marketing and promotional services for Ecko Untld., Sketchers, XXL Magazine, among others. By adding more feathers to his cap, Dru was a highly sought after consultant for urban and alternative companies. High Times Magazine hired Dru as a consultant (2002) to help formulate the publication’s record label distributed through Caroline Distribution.
From 2002-2005 Dru and Duck Downn inked a three-year distribution deal with independent KOCH Distribution where they released albums highlighted from Boot Camp Clik’s Chosen Few (2002) and Black Moon’s Total Eclipse (2003). For the first in the Company’s history Duck Down entered into a pure distribution arrangement. Duck retained full ownership of their Masters and was responsible for their products’ creation and promotion. This in turn introduced Dru to the “distribution side” of the industry and further expanded his knowledge in regards to CO OP Advertising Budgets and Manufacturing. While at KOCH Duck Down sold an impressive 120,000 units of product which established Duck Down as a true Independent Record Label.
With Duck Down’s distribution deal with KOCH set to expire in the summer of 2005, Navarre Distribution aggressively courted Duck Down to join their growing roster. With new found experience and confidence in Distribution deals, Dru decided a change was in order and switched Duck Down’s distribution to a more lucrative deal with the Minnesota based Navarre Corporation. Dru Ha spearheaded a marketing campaign titled “Triple Threat” which uniquely and effectively cross-marketed 3 albums: Sean Price’s Monkey Barz, 9th Wonder & Buckshot’s Chemistry, & Smif N Wessun’s Reloaded into one promotion and marketing effort. With stunning visuals (created by Marc Ecko of Ecko Clothing Company) the 3 album covers (when combined) formed one impressive image. This image was a driving force for the Triple Threat’s Ad Campaigns, Posters, Van Wraps, etc. which helped drive album sales to 100,000 combined units and climbing.
As sole CEOs of Duck Down, Dru and Buck have the ability to sign artists who need not conform to industry trends. Ignoring industry fads and staying true to form, the Dru-headed Duck Down’s artistic integrity, has amassed over 2.5 million sales of their collective albums. It is a daily operation for Dru, head a record label, nurture its artists, market and promote without the aid of record label conglomerates, and direct music videos . . . as a hobby.
In 2006, Cornerstone Promotion hired Dru Ha as Director of their Urban Music Division. Cornerstone is a full-service lifestyle marketing firm that builds emerging brands and re-energizes established ones. Boasting A-list clients including Boost Mobile, X Box, Smirnoff, Microsoft, Nike and others across multiple disciplines
-With an emphasis on music, film and consumer products—
Dru's resume continues to grow....
Check out DuckDown.com for more info.
-Send booking requests to: [email protected]
-Send your Beats, Demos, & Fan Mail to:
Duck Down Records
341 Lafayette Street Suite 571
NY, NY 10012
Don't forget to pick up some BCC/DD gear, vinyl & mix CD's from the: Duck Down Shop
Check Out Our Official "YouTube" Playlist: Click Here
Black Moon - Stay Real
Directed By: Dru-Ha & Brandon Kraines
Get this video and more at Our Videoz Section
Souljah Slim - Love Me Love Me Not
Directed By: Dru-Ha & Brandon Kraines
Get this video and more at Our Videoz Section
Tony Touch - Dimelo
Directed By: Dru-Ha & Brandon Kraines
Get this video and more at Our Videoz Section
Fab 5 - Leflah - PRIORITY - 1996
Heltah Skeltah - Operation Lockdown - PRIORITY - 1996
Black Moon - 2 Turntables and A Mic - PRIORITY - 1998
Black Moon - Stay Real - KOCH - 2003
Black Moon - This Goes Out To YOU - KOCH - 2004
Boot Camp Clik - Headz Aint Ready - PRIORITY - 1997
FunkMaster Flex - I Ain’t No Joke - LOUD - 1997
Heltah Skeltah - Operation Lock Down - PRIORITY - 1996
O.G.C.’s - No Fear - PRIORITY - 1997
Smif n Wessun - Spanish Harlem - PRIORITY - 1998
Souljah Slim - Love Me or Leav Em - KOCH - 2003
Tony Touch - Dimelo - KOCH - 2004
Bone Thugs - Hip Hop - KOCH - 2005