by Cyrus Webb
Cooo Arty is not only a creative who's been able to create his own platform in his own lane. He's also giving a platform to others through his show, Minding Our Black Owned Business. During his media tour this year I had a chance to chat with him about his love of creating, spotlighting others and what it's been like to remind people of what's possible.
Cooo Arty, thanks for the time. What has it been like for you to think about the work that got you here and how it's now being recognized?
Yeah, I think I talk about that a lot. The journey is one of the most important things, because it helps you truly realize the work that you have put in and the resilience that you had to maintain to get to where you are. A lot of people see it now. Like you said, we're in 2026, but the inception of this was February 2020. So we had to go through COVID. We had to get delayed for that. I had another production team that I was working with. Unfortunately, that fell through. Now I have my main team that I work with, and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to not only say that we partnered through this, that we continue in our journey together.
And getting here now is just one of those moments where, if you've ever seen the movie Waiting to Exhale, when that moment happens and they exhale and the little breath of smoke comes through, yeah, it's one of those moments where you can just breathe a little bit. But me knowing who I am and how I maneuver, that the work is just beginning now. It's just begun now. We're just beginning. We're really starting to warm up because I know now that we've gotten this partnership and we're able to get the eyes that we need, that there's so much work to be done. I'm super excited and exhilarated for what we're about to do as a collective.
One of the things that was on your bio was about your relentless passion and determination. Where does that come from? Because I think as you're profiling these different businesses and we're able to see what they've been able to navigate, I think it's great to look at the host and think about how they got here. What do you think helped you with that relentless passion and determination that you have?
It's who I am. As you keep saying my name to your viewers, I think a lot of times what people don't know is there's a meaning behind my name. COOO, is an acronym and it's my imprint and my mantra, which stands for Creating Our Own Opportunities. So I am a firm believer in building what has not been made for us and also helping people understand that you can do the same thing too. So I think that passion comes from, it started from where I'm from. Like I'm from Mount Vernon, New York, home of some of the greatest creators there. You're talking Denzel Washington, Felicia Rashad...Heavy D. So the city that I was born in is full of creatives. And my mother, she always used to put my sister and I in talent shows and plays, etc.
So that was instilled in me from such a young age. And it became who I am. I can't function without creating. I can't function without making music. I can't function without acting or creating film and TV. It's a part of who I am. And if you really think about it, all those three things are all synonymous. You can't have film without music. You don't do film or TV without fashion. And those are literally the three things that fuel me. When I was having a conversation about it, I said, oh, that's cool. And it was at that moment where I knew, I said, there it is.
Creating our own opportunities. And Arty: my name is Arthur, but Arty is a name that my aunt gave me. She passed away, so I kept it with me. That's my way of just paying homage to her. So I put both of them together and Cooo Arty is now here, and I just cannot go back from that. Creating is what I stand by. Inspiring others to create is what I live by, and creating the opportunities for us that may not have been given to us is what I exude.
Let's talk about Minding Our Black Owned Business. How did you decide who you wanted to profile and the different areas you wanted to be able to spotlight through your platform?
A lot of times when people associate black-owned businesses, they'll think about food, or they'll think about clothing. One thing I want to be able to highlight and shine a light on specifically is that there is so much more to who we are.
I think the power of networking has always been one of my biggest superpowers. I just have an eye for what I like, and I want to make sure everybody sees what I see as well.
Talk to us about what it's been like for you now, Cooo Arty, to have this partnership with BET and to be able to let people see this on the larger scale.
I mean, it's the perfect marriage. This is a network that I grew up watching. This is a network that I grew up seeing people that resemble my lifestyle, that go through what I go through, that look like me, that experience the same experiences on a daily basis. Now being able to showcase what I am doing for our culture on their platform...It's one of those things that even though I'm kind of conveying my emotions to you, I still haven't put into words myself like what this truly means to me. It means a lot.
I'm so glad for the world to be able to enjoy what you've created. Congratulations again to you, Cooo Arty. How can our audience stay connected and enjoy the series?
First of all, thank you so much, Cyrus. I appreciate you, man. This means a lot. The way you maneuver on your interviews, it's God-sent. You can find me on Instagram at @Cooarty. You can follow the business page as well @MindingOurBlackOwnedBusiness. All the links are in our bios. You can check out the episodes. Please connect with us. Please tag your friends that have businesses. Tag them in the comments. Let us check them out. They might be the next one aired on our show. So we're looking forward to being able to not only showcase the businesses, but to be able to connect as a community. That is one of my biggest goals is for us to come together in ways that have been never seen before. And hopefully I can be a catalyst to that.
It's an honor to be able to speak with you, connect with you, and looking forward to our next chat together, man.
Likewise. Thank you so much.
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