Name: Larrance Dopson
Profession: Musician, producer
Age: 31
One Word That Describes You: Honorable
As a young boy growing up in the late 1980s Larrance Dopson witnessed the gang chaos and violence that had reached alarming levels in many of California cities. The center of the crisis was Los Angeles, where there were more than 800 homicides in 1987. Crenshaw was no stranger to the sounds of gun fire, police sirens, and ambulance noise warning vehicles to clear space for vehicle pass through. Dopson had to find an escape. He had to find a different world within a world that took the lives of so many. Music became the outlet and “1500 or nothin” became the collective.
Dopson’s earliest memories are of family and music. Along with his two sisters and mother, the family would sit around the piano and sing along as a family while dad played. “My biggest inspiration for doing music is my family,” Dopson tells BE Modern Man. “My parents grew up in Chicago where my father was apart of the musical group, “The Wagers.” He and my mother moved to Los Angeles before I was born so that he could continue his dream.” As his father pursued his dream, musical talents were passed down to the children and Dopson was blessed with the ability to play instruments.
“Very early on, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” says Dopson. “I started out playing in church and eventually a group of my childhood friends and I decided to take this thing further.” Marrying what you want to do with goal execution is often times a challenging task, but nothing worth having comes without struggle. “In the early years it was tough because I was very trusting of people,” Dopson tells BE Modern Man. “I try to do the right thing by people so I assumed everyone else was that way as well.” After unknowingly signing a bad contract, Dopson’s production life was put on the shelf which could have easily been a reason for him to give up. However, it opened up other opportunities as a musician which allowed him to cultivate relationships with various artists which has lent itself to much of his success today.
But breaking through the music industry at a time when social media was just beginning to bubble was extremely difficult. Unknown during the 80″s and 90″s really meant unknown. Sharing your work during these times literally meant to physically share your work within your circle and hustle to get it in hands outside of it. “It’s hard to break in as an unknown because people don’t want to give you a chance or they want to take advantage of you,” says Dopson. “It took me a little while to understand what I brought to the table and to not allow anyone to offer me less than I deserve.”
Read more about the impact that music had on Dopson’s life…
Now a leader in the game Dopson has broken through the static and knows exactly what his worth is. Dopson prides himself on building a solid reputation in the industry which, along with his music genius, increases his value. “I really take the time
to cultivate genuine friendships with people. For me it really matters to know a person & what they are about, which allows me to recognize their strengths and try to put them in a position to be highlighted.” Handling himself, his peers, and business with integrity allows Dopson to successfully leave his impact.Growing up in the industry as a young man is tough. Growing up in LA around gang life and violence is even tougher. “Music literally saved my life,” Dopson tells BE Modern Man. “It gave me an outlet and a safe space to express myself be productive. Providing this same outlet for those in his community is a part of Dopson’s greater vision. 1500 has built a studio at Crenshaw high, partnered with Grammy U and is in the process of developing a curriculum to teach underprivileged youth. While the curriculum will be music based, the courses will also stress the importance of keeping a positive mind, to mediate and find your center. “Being successful is more so dependent on your mental state then it is your talent. You have to believe you can do anything then use whatever resources you have to achieve it.”
Dopson believes that exposure is one of the key elements for
our youth, young adults and community to find success. “Hopefully people will read our stories and keep going. I’m grateful to be a part of something like this and that Black Enterprise offers a space for our stories to be told.”The youngster sitting at his fathers piano has come a long way. With Grammy nominations, and hit records with today’s most recognizable stars Dopson wants to leave a legacy that will live on long after he is gone. “Being a BE Modern Man means allowing God to flow through me to anyone he sees fit to touch,” says Dopson. “A BE Modern Man sets out to accomplish something and exceed even what others thought was possible.”
The BlackEnterprise.com team salutes Larrance Dopson for staying true to himself and his beliefs while working hard to obtain his musical and community based goals. His creativity and ability to use music as a vehicle for change is the essence of a BE Modern Man.
It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow and join the BE Modern Man conversation at #BEModernMan and @blackenterprise