Culted Sounds: Taking it step by step with Stepz

by Juliette Eleuterio 3 months ago

by Juliette Eleuterio 3 months ago 6min

If you have TikTok, chances are you’ve seen Stepz acting up as he does. But that’s not all he does. Having just released his EP titled “Step by Stepz” – you see what he did there – Stepz is taking the music scene by storm. The London-born musician finds his success to keep growing in sync with his two outlets, but even though he was the most viewed UK artist on TikTok last year, he doesn’t let that get to his head and always keeps it 100. Today, we caught up with Stepz to talk about his new EP, his approach to TikTok and what he’s working on for the rest of the year.

Hey Stepz ! How are you doing? Where are you joining us from today?

Yo! My name is Stepz. I’m in Croydon right now, yeah.

I want to start by talking about your latest EP “Step by Stepz” which came out a couple of weeks ago. How does it feel now that it’s out?

I wouldn’t say it was nerve-wracking because obviously it’s in the name innit, taking it step by step. Not everything’s going to become the most worldwide song that quickly so it’s like, for me, I wasn’t scared. This is something I want people to hear so they know what’s coming. People have been reacting really well, so yeah.

The latest music video, created by Don Prod and The Youngest Plug, for Book Bag sees you going back to school, with a special appearance by Ms Banks. Tell me about how that project came to life, from ideation to the actual shoot.

Basically, every time I make a song, I make it based on a theme. Obviously, I might be saying whatever else on the song but it’s meant to relate to that theme, you get me. It was meant to be like that, the video. Even for songs like Pacman, I know how the video is going to look like in my head already.

What kind of student were you in school? Were you a straight A’s or sent to the principal’s office type?

I used to get good grades, but at the same time I was just a fun kid, the class clown.

Let’s talk about your TikTok. You’ve gained a massive following on there, being the number 1 most viewed UK artist on the app last year. Do people tend to recognize you more for your music or your socials?

Do you know what, it’s actually a bit of both. When I go outside and that, majority of the time it depends. I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and say “oh, I love your songs”. And then I have a lot of people come up to me and say “you’re a funny guy”, so it’s both ways. As long as you recognise me as an entity, I’m happy.

Are people often surprised if they know you from TikTok and then find out you do music or vice versa?

All the time. 100%.

On your TikTok, you post a lot of POV style videos, like POV: Someone steps on your shoes, as well as promoting your own music. Where do you find the ideas for your videos?

It’s just my daily life innit. Like the other day, I kept saying “more life” to my friend that just turned 20, and I kept saying that but I never actually said “happy birthday” to him. So then I made a video about how people in London are always saying stuff like “more life”, “more blessings” but they never actually say “happy birthday”. It always just comes back to what actually happens in my own life.

@realstepz #fyp #funny #relatable ♬ original sound – Stepz

Do you find that TikTok allows you to showcase a comedic side of your rap music might not?

Nah, nah. If I was just doing rap, you’d still see my comedic side anyway. But because I don’t have to show it as much, because everyone knows it already from TikTok, so I don’t.

With TikTok, more so than, say, releasing an album on Spotify, you are much more exposed to people’s opinions and criticisms through comments. Do you tend to read through your comments? How do you deal with the hate?

Yeah, comments are an important thing. I read through them so I can reply to supporters. When it comes to negative stuff, I don’t really care. Whenever I see a negative comment, depending on what it’s about, I brush it off. Man don’t really care like that. Unless your full post is getting hate, that’s different. But if you’re posting and there are two people there that are saying negative things, you can’t take it in because the rest are positive.

@realstepz BOOK BAG OUT NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS GO STREAM IT 🎒🔥 #newmusic #rap #bookbag ♬ Book Bag

With an EP already out and an upcoming concert in London, you’ve been keeping yourself busy this year. So what’s next for Stepz?

Yeah, yeah. I’ve got some Stepz shit coming out. I’ve started on Twitter as well. I’ve jumped on YouTube and am going to be releasing some freestyles and singles this year as well. So yeah, there’s a couple of things, can’t lie.