Meet Step | Music Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Step and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Step, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I feel like in most things I’ve done in my life, particularly now pursuing something within the creative space like music, being original and authentic to who i am has been the thing that’s helped me be the most in terms of success. I think that in hip-hop/rap today, a lot of artists sound the same, production sounds the same, it’s very repetitive.

So for me it was about trying to figure out how i can be myself and be authentic. By doing that, a good group of listeners have gravitated towards my music even though I’m still not very well known within the industry yet. The biggest feedback i get from people who reach out to me after coming across my music for the first time is that it’s very relatable and easy on the ears.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What i think sets me apart from others is my sound in my opinion. I think that I mix a lot of different components of hip -hop music to create a finished product that’s different than what most of the genre is doing currently. I rap on softer more R&B driven production, and talk about my real life experiences that I think are very relatable to people of all ages and backgrounds. And I think i do a good job of having good lyrics without trying to be too lyrical.

I got to where I’m at now by just making the decision to stop playing basketball shortly after my college career ended, and move to NYC to pursue music to a further degree. It wasn’t easy making the transition but I think I have a really good team of engineers, producers, and my closest friends who have helped me stay locked in and driven to keep trying to reach higher levels.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that being true to yourself is always the most important thing when it comes to the creative process. Also being patient with the music itself and focusing on the quality over the quantity is something I’ve learned.

What I think the world should know about my music/brand is that it’s really just a product of who I am as a person. I think anyone who actually knows me in real life and has heard my music or seen any other thing I do within the creative space can attest to that. I’m not getting into some fictional character persona or talking about things that aren’t true to who I am

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve been in New York City for about 4 years now so it definitely feels like home in some ways.

I live in Brooklyn so that’s become home base to me for the last few years and there’s so many things I like to do in the Downtown, Williamsburg, and Dumbo areas in particular.

I find myself out in Manhattan more frequently though. That’s where I record in the East Village, shop in Soho/West Village. And the best part about NYC in my opinion is the food options, no matter what neighborhood you’re in, the options are endless.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost my parents. I think my creative process, subject matter, and sound selection comes from how and where I was raised, and all that credit goes to them.

My city Dallas, TX definitely deserves credit. I feel like for any person, the place they’re from has a big influence on their identity and that’s definitely the case for me. I talk about where I’m from and my experiences a lot in my music.

And then lastly my supporters and listeners of course. Music is something still relatively new to me. I played basketball in college at University of Hawaii and spent my whole life until a few years ago pursuing basketball, so to make the transition to music and have a solid foundation of people who already have gravitated to what I’ve put out so far gives me confidence that I’m on the right track.

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