If you have ever heard the names Ludacris, DJ Khaled, 2 Chains, LL Cool J, Redman, Jim Jones, Foxxy Brown, and Ace Hood, these are just a few of the artist that are synonymous with Hazardous Records, LLC founder, the youngest Black Radio Station owner in the nation, and 2007 Saint Augustine’s University Alumni, Damian Powell. Known in the music industry as “DY-NASTY,” he has owned and operated a North Carolina based recording studio since he was 19 years old. In 2001, he landed his first radio job on Radio One’s K-97.5 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and for over 10 years he became one of the Carolina’s biggest DJ’s. In 2011, he was laid off from Radio One, which became a pivotal moment in his career when he turned his passion for music into an independent record label, Hazardous Rec, LLC. In 2013, DY brokered a deal with Kevin Lile’s 300 Entertainment. With the resilience and grit that has defined his career and life’s struggles, over the next 5 years, with the money he earned from his record label sales, and from throwing large scale events, he was able to raise over $1 million dollars with his partner and aunt Delores Powell to purchase his first FM property Hot 97.9, coronating him as the youngest Black radio station owner in the nation. He was supported in this endeavor by the late, United States Senator, Tony Rand, and Dr. Ronald Benfield who was a local surgeon.

In 2018, PMC Broadcasting, Hot 97.9 FM made its debut and is the fastest growing urban station in the Raleigh market with a listenership cume of over 179,000 and growing. He is the recipient of several commendations, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Platinum commendation for the production of Cam’Ron’s Come Home with Me; and Gold for Lil’ Scrappy & Trillville King of Crunk and Welcome to Trillville. While launching Hot 97.9, mindful of the impact and reach of urban radio, he entered into a rebroadcast/lease agreement with his alma mater, Saint Augustine’s University on its 750 AM station that was in dormant state. Which in turn he repaired it and restored it, DY is also a self-taught sound engineer who built and gifted his beloved Saint Augustine’s University in honor of the vision of SAU, a brand new, digital radio station “Falcon Fly Radio”. His donated gift, is valued at approximately $70K to the University, The New Falcon Fly Radio launched in 2021. The station is poised to be a completely student run enterprise that can be heard internationally on Apple Music, Pandora, Tune-in, on the university’s mobile app, and website. 

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