“It’s the set-backs you have to pay attention to,” Stephens, says roling down Northside Drive in one of his Rolls Royce’s, traveling to his new office space, located at 101 Marietta Street in Atlanta. “It’s how quickly you can come back that counts!”
A True Testament to a Prodigious Talent
Stephens, a 39-year-old entrepreneur is reportedly worth more than 40 million. By all standards that’s a high roller. And by today’s standards, let’s toast to a mogul. His new office space overlooking the east, west, north and south of Marietta Street is 15,000 square feet of pure heaven.
The space flaunts with super white carpet, white leather seating, mirrors, and glass desks. The Impressive big screen monitors that hang on the walls keep him abreast of what’s going on in the office, and out of the office. At the touch of a button, he knows what’s going on all over the world, for that matter.
A true testament to his prodigious talent, this unassuming provocateur has developed what is arguably the envy of his peers. He’s built a conglomerate under the umbrella company, Upfront Megatainment www.upfrontmegatainment.com which houses an array of companies.
The Complex, a large warehouse, also known as an artist boot camp is where the celebs and wanabes go for a complete make-over. From vocal and dance lessons to image consulting and media training, the Complex is a one-stop shop for an entertainer. The simple ingenuity of having it under one roof, makes it efficient, too. He also, runs Dreamland, a huge 17-acre estate that is available for ultra exclusive events and parties. “It all starts with the giving.” he grins. “The more you give, the more you get.”
Devyne Stephens Began his Career with LaFace Records
Stephens began his career with "Baby Face" of LaFace Records as an artist. Then, as a choreographer, the hit list of stars he’s worked with reads like a who’s who in the industry: Usher, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Ciara, 50 Cent, Diddy, and the list goes on. Stephens has been coined: The Brand Maker, Barry Gordy of this generation, a taciturn founding father of Atlanta's mega success, soft spoken giant and man of few words.
Call him all the above and couple that with an intuition to find and nurture star quality and without a doubt, he’s a music mogul. He’s best known for Akon's and T-Pain's success, developing them into the superstar status they enjoy today. And on the music landscape, “I’m just getting started,” he laments.
High Rollin' in the key of Life
He’s the Vice President of Konvict Music (Akon’s record Label) and has been instrumental in taking the label to new heights. Stephens has also worked with the iconic Michael Jackson on the remake of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and also collaborated with him on an unreleased song, "Hold My Hand".
“It takes patience,” he says. “It takes lots of patience and vision. I’ve been broke three times, lost everything, and each time I came back to millionaire status. You gotta’ have a vision and believe in something, until it works for you, and never waver!”
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