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Fusing pop and hip-hop elements Kansas City based Steven Cooper is breaking the mold of a typical emcee. His inspirational and optimistic music is a conscious calling from the heart. GroundSounds recently caught up with him to talk about his latest musical endeavors and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering your music can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with it all?
I got started on a dare in high school. I was always writing poems and stories growing up, but had never tried my hand at rap lyrics even though I was obsessed with hip-hop and the culture. Some friends of mine dared me to write a rap song and perform it for the high schools talent show as a joke. Instead of it being a joke, I won the entire thing and got a standing ovation. Shortly after I made a demo, connected with a local producer, and have been doing it ever since.
What do you enjoy most about Kansas City? What is one thing every visitor should see or do?
I love Kansas City because it’s ever changing. I feel Kansas City is on the verge of exploding and doing some big things in the near future. I’m so proud to be living here and building my music career out of this town. My favorite new spot in the city is a bar called “Up Down” which is decorated in all 90’s memorabilia and has a full arcade throughout. It’s a blast.
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your track “Never Forget?”
Never Forget took a long time to finish, mainly because I really wanted the lyrics to empower people and remind them that our soldiers are humans as well. They make extreme sacrifices that should be honored over and over again. Every time I worked on that song I just zoned out and tried to put myself in their shoes. What would I want people to remember about the sacrifices I was making.
Can you tell us about working on your latest EP Coop & Cotti? What was it like collaborating with Jack Cottingham?
Me and Jack have been friends since high school so it was an easy project to finish. We’ve always wanted to do an EP together but neither one of us were in a position to do it properly back then. So since my career started moving, I decided to reach back out to him and make it happen once and for all. We had a blast doing it and will probably do another in the future. It’s always a great time creating with your best friends.
What is it about combining the elements of pop and rap that attract you to this sound?
I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Prince, Mariah and a ton of pop artists. When I discovered hip hop I couldn’t help but write from my pop upbringing. It felt like combining the two elements was what was true to me as an artist. I love to see rap music have more of an arrangement instead of just loops. I love combining live instrumentation with synths. And I love hip-hop that can make you feel good, want to dance, or just put you in a great mood.
Can you tell us about shooting the music video for “Stone Cold?”
This video was a challenge mainly because I did it all myself. There wasn’t a single other person in the room with me. No producers, directors, or camera men. I wanted the video to be raw and I wanted to be able to let loose without anyone else critiquing me while filming. It was a lot of fun to do but was definitely a challenge. I even decided to edit it myself so that I could say I created it from start to finish.
What was the inspiration for your track “Not For Sale?”
I think you reach a certain point in your career where people start to wonder where you’re going to go next. With hip-hop, they always assume you’re eventually going to sell out for the typical flash of the culture. Money, women, jewels, etc. My fans have never known me as that and I wanted to remind them that I have no intention of ever being that. No matter how big I get as an artist.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?
I’m listening to a bunch of new stuff as well as some older hits. Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, 30 Seconds to Mars, LL Cool J, Lupe Fiasco, Goo Goo Dolls, B.o.B., Eminem, Tech N9ne, Elle King, and Ingrid Michaelson are all on my recently played list. And of course I’m always listening to our Unlabeled Records roster.
What’s next for Steven Cooper? What can fans look forward to?
Starting my own label and signing other artists has been my most recent endeavor. I finally feel like the label (Unlabeled Records) is ready to go and I can’t wait to debut all the new artists to my followers. We have some serious talent already.
