Today we’d like to introduce you to Dermon Edwards.
Hi Dermon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Streetza Ria, an independent hip-hop artist from St. Louis and the founder of MDM Records. My story really comes from life experience. Music became a way for me to take what I’ve lived through the struggles, lessons, setbacks, ambition, faith, and determination; it turn it into something people could hear and hopefully relate to.
I didn’t start with a major label, a big budget, or an industry machine behind me. A lot of what I’ve learned has come from doing it independently recording music, developing my sound, learning the business side, releasing records, promoting myself, and continuing to invest in my craft. That process taught me that being an independent artist is about much more than making songs. It requires discipline, consistency, ownership, and believing in yourself when there isn’t always someone standing beside you telling you to keep going.
Being from St. Louis is also a major part of who I am. There’s a certain toughness and resilience that comes from this city, and I think you can hear that in my music. I make records about overcoming circumstances, getting something out of nothing, financial empowerment, faith, growth, and refusing to allow where you started to determine where you finish.
Over time, I created MDM Records as a foundation for building something of my own. I’ve continued releasing music independently, expanding my catalog, getting my records onto major streaming platforms, pursuing radio opportunities, and learning how to operate more strategically as both an artist and a businessman.
Today, I’m still building. I don’t look at my story as if I’ve already arrived. I look at everything I’ve accomplished so far as evidence that I’m moving in the right direction. My goal is to continue growing Streetza Ria into a recognizable name, build MDM Records into something with longevity, reach people around the world with my music, and create something that will remain long after me.
At the end of the day, my story is really about perseverance. I started with a vision, and every obstacle has given me another reason to keep going. I’m still writing the story now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of my biggest challenges has been continuing to believe in the vision when the results didn’t always come as quickly as the work I was putting in.
Being an independent artist means a lot of things fall on you. Recording, releasing, marketing, promotion, networking, finances, learning the business, and protecting yourself from people who may see your ambition as an opportunity to take advantage of you. I’ve encountered people promising opportunities, exposure, streams, connections, and results that weren’t always what they appeared to be. Those experiences taught me to pay attention, ask questions, do my own research, and understand that every person offering to “help” isn’t necessarily there to help.
Finances have been another challenge. When you’re independent, there isn’t necessarily a major label writing checks for studio time, production, marketing, videos, artwork, or promotion. I still have real-life responsibilities while investing in Streetza Ria and MDM Records. That has forced me to learn patience and make smarter decisions about where my money goes.
I’ve also experienced serious personal setbacks outside of music. Life doesn’t stop because you have a dream. I’ve had to deal with circumstances that tested me physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually while still trying to remain consistent with my music and responsibilities.
My faith has become extremely important to how I deal with those moments. I’ve learned that I can work hard and make plans, but ultimately I have to put my trust in Allah and accept that everything happens on His timing, not mine.
The biggest lesson has probably been learning not to confuse a difficult season with the end of the story. There have been plenty of moments when quitting would have been easier. Instead, I kept recording, kept releasing music, kept learning, and kept building.
The struggles actually became part of the music. When people hear Streetza Ria talk about perseverance, faith, getting something out of nothing, or continuing when people counted you out, those aren’t just concepts for records. They come from things I’ve actually lived.
I’m still facing challenges, but today I approach them differently. I’m more patient, more knowledgeable, more protective of my business, and more focused on longevity than instant gratification. Every setback taught me something I needed for the next level.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work as Streetza Ria is centered around making authentic hip-hop based on real experiences. I specialize in music that speaks about ambition, perseverance, survival, faith, financial growth, relationships, setbacks, and the mentality it takes to keep moving forward when life doesn’t go according to plan.
One thing I take pride in is being able to create records without pretending to be somebody I’m not. When I talk about struggle, I’ve experienced struggle. When I talk about wanting more out of life, that hunger is real. When I talk about faith, disappointment, loyalty, success, or overcoming circumstances, those things come from experiences that have shaped me as a man. I think listeners can tell the difference between something somebody is performing and something somebody has actually lived.
I’m also very hands-on with my career. As an independent artist and the founder of MDM Records, I’m involved in much more than recording. I work on developing songs, selecting production, recording my music, building my catalog, distribution, artwork, promotion, branding, and learning the business behind the music. I want to understand the industry rather than simply waiting for somebody else to create an opportunity for me.
What I’m most proud of is my consistency. I’ve continued creating and releasing music through circumstances that could have easily made me stop. I’m proud that I never needed somebody else’s approval to decide whether my dream was worth pursuing.
What sets me apart is that I’m not trying to manufacture an image or duplicate whatever is popular at the moment. Streetza Ria represents my actual journey. My music documents where I’ve been, what I’ve learned, where I am now, and where I’m trying to go.
I also believe success is bigger than becoming famous. I want ownership, longevity, financial independence, and a catalog that continues speaking for me years from now. If greater recognition comes with that, Alhamdulillah. But my responsibility is to keep working, keep improving, and trust Allah with the outcome.
Ultimately, I want somebody who hears my music—especially somebody coming from circumstances where success feels far away to hear proof that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is really where my journey in music began. My brother and I decided we wanted to rap together, and we just started building from whatever we had.
I remember saving my money for a couple of weeks until I had enough to buy a desktop computer. Then I got a microphone, a pop filter, and the basic equipment we needed to record ourselves. We didn’t have some big professional studio or a major budget. We were figuring it out as we went, putting our first records together and learning our craft together.
We called what we were building MDM Records, and I remember my dad making us red and black MDM Records shirts. That meant something to us because it made what we were doing feel real. Eventually, people throughout our neighborhood started gravitating toward the music. Family and friends supported us, and it reached the point where our mother and pops actually knew the words to our songs.
One of my favorite memories was having one of our biggest shows and seeing so many family members and friends come out to support us. But when I look back now, I appreciate the small shows just as much. We performed in front of packed audiences, but we also performed when there was one person in the audience or nobody at all. We had shows where the microphone or sound wasn’t right, and we still kept performing.
Those experiences taught us consistency before we probably even understood what consistency meant.
My brother and I aren’t making music together every day like we once did, but we spent close to 20 years creating and releasing music together. We started our craft side by side, and those memories will always be part of who I am as an artist.
Looking back, we couldn’t have known what all those moments were preparing us for. We were just two brothers making music and chasing something we believed in. But the seeds we planted back then continued growing. Today, I can look at what I’m building as Streetza Ria and see that some of those seeds grew into beautiful flowers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unitedmasters.com/a/streetza-ria
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetza_ria/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/streetzaRia1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrStreetzaRia
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/streetza-ria
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/streetza-ria/383791528
