Legendary Music & Visuals, a black-owned small business in Detroit, did not allow the pandemic to stop their new business venture. Owner Carlton Williams found ways to expand and still give back to his community.
“I started by making speakers for people,” said Williams. “That passion came from music.” The early era of hip-hop inspired the creation of the LMV headphones.
Williams is developing new earbuds set to launch in 2022. In addition, Williams launched LMV998 Headphones that use Bluetooth technology earlier this year. “I dedicated time to finding different chipsets to represent the sound. I knew what I did and did not like about some of the headphones on the market today. That was used to come up with the quality headphones I wanted to sell.”
Legendary Music & Visual business includes music, photography, and artist development.
“A lot of these young people don’t have the resources to do as such,” said Williams. “They don’t have the resources to pay for studio time to get enough practice time into their craft consistently. So, there is not much focus on grooming artists and giving them the time to develop and become themselves.”
The company is big on giving back and working closely with people who love music. Williams clarifies that LMV is not a label but an artist development company dedicated to building relations with people and providing them with opportunities to learn more about the business.
Williams created a home-based studio to give young people the opportunity to work on their crafts.
“When the children around started to show interest in music, I put my resources together,” said Williams. “I saw how hard it was to get in the studio and the cost for a studio. This studio gives artists time to perfect their craft.”
The studio weathered the financial storm of COVID-19, while other did not. According to a House Committee on Small Business Committee report, the black business ownership rate dropped 41 % between February and April 2020. According to the report, black businesses were less equipped to handle the mandate closures.
“Earbuds are in development with more over-the-earphones with color options,” said Willaims. “Looking to have products in the future.