Stephen Michael
Glen Cove, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Here at GigMaven we give credit and respect where it’s due, and this week’s artist of the week deserves a lot of both. Head over to his profile and start listening…Stephen Michael puts out track after track of HIGH quality, club and radio ready hip hop. I’d consider myself a beat fiend, and this guy have some absolutely killing beats on his mix tape April Reign. The artist credits himself as a singer/rapper, and as far as I can tell, I think he’s produced a few of the tracks on the mixtape. A lot of the singing is just auto-tune. As far as the subjects of his tracks, they’re very mainstream with not much to chew on for folks with an interpretive bent…but everything he does hits so hard, and comes through as such a party-pleaser/car-bumper, that he’s simply poised for a high level of success. He’s no Weezy, he’s no Kanye, but he’s a lot like them in some ways. Melodically, he’s sort of like Kanye on 808s and Heartbreak. Listen to the main hook of “Encore,” and you’ll know what I mean…sounds like “Welcome to Heartbreak.” And some of his slower rhymes sound a little like Wayne. I think he’s part of a younger generation of pop/hip hop musicians that makes a lot out of what they’ve inherited musically.
Check out the video below. Apparently he’s the ladies’ choice, as they’re willing to scale metal piping and face down a 500-lb. guy to get just a little bit closer.
GigMaven’s New Artist of the Week – Stephen Michael
Stephen MichaelHere at GigMaven we give credit and respect where it’s due, and this week’s artist of the week deserves a lot of both. Head over to his profile and start listening…Stephen Michael puts out track after track of HIGH quality, club and radio ready hip hop. I’d consider myself a beat fiend, and this guy have some absolutely killing beats on his mix tape April Reign. The artist credits himself as a singer/rapper, and as far as I can tell, I think he’s produced a few of the tracks on the mixtape. A lot of the singing is just auto-tune. As far as the subjects of his tracks, they’re very mainstream with not much to chew on for folks with an interpretive bent…but everything he does hits so hard, and comes through as such a party-pleaser/car-bumper, that he’s simply poised for a high level of success. He’s no Weezy, he’s no Kanye, but he’s a lot like them in some ways. Melodically, he’s sort of like Kanye on 808s and Heartbreak. Listen to the main hook of “Encore,” and you’ll know what I mean…sounds like “Welcome to Heartbreak.” And some of his slower rhymes sound a little like Wayne. I think he’s part of a younger generation of pop/hip hop musicians that makes a lot out of what they’ve inherited musically.
Check out the video below. Apparently he’s the ladies’ choice, as they’re willing to scale metal piping and face down a 500-lb. guy to get just a little bit closer.
SM is doing quite well already, having opened for Akon and Kool and the Gang, and getting a writing credit for his collab with both Bobby Valentino and Snoop. All he has to do now is help us out with a download link to his mixtape (looks like it’s down on MySpace). Can’t wait to see what this guy does! - Mavenly
Stephen Michael has already accomplished so much as an emerging music artist. His name has surfaced amongst the big boys in music due to his writing skills, having written for T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Valentino, and more! And that was just his first big job. Try to find another artist that sings, raps, writes, produces, and vocally arranges his own music! You won’t. He’s released his first mixtape, April Reign, and now he has his official album available on iTunes now, December 2 Remember.
You will remember his name, he’s definitely one to watch. See Latasha interview Stephen Michael for DopeFiles.com!
www.StephenMichaelMusic.com
Download December 2 Remember on iTunes today! - The Dope FIles
Discography
Mixtapes (2010)
-April Reign
Albums (2010)
December 2 Remember (Released on iTunes)
Singles (2010)
You Got Me (Debuted at #1 on the DJ-League European Record Pool)
Radio
Z100 (100.3/New York)
Party 105 (105.3/New York)
WBLI (106.1/New York)
Photos
Bio
The term "recording artist" is often thrown around very loosely. It seems as though everyone today can rap or sing. Stephen Michael refuses to refer to himself merely as a "recording artist" because he offers much more.
Yes, Stephen Michael can sing. Yes, he can rap, too. Who doesn't these days? What sets Stephen apart from almost every other "recording artist" in the industry, is his amazing gift of lyric and melody. Unlike many recording artists today, Stephen can write songs of all genres. His lyrics always hit close to home, which is why so many people have grown to fall in love with his music. When asked why he feels people are so receptive to his music, he simply replied that "People just want to be able to relate. They want to know that they are not going through a certain life experience or circumstance alone. They want to know that someone else has gone through similar experiences and has felt similar emotions".
As if singing, rapping, and songwriting were not enough, Stephen also mixes, masters, and vocal arranges all of his songs. He was blessed with an ear for "hit recordings" and hears things that the average "artist" just isn't capable of hearing. "I don't know how to explain it," Stephen said. "A beat, to me, is similar to that of a blank canvas to a painter. The average painter may not know where to start, but Picasso knew exactly what needed to be done. He saw it before he did it. That is how I feel when I hear a beat. It is if it speaks to me, and I know exactly how to proceed."
Stephen's music is timeless and has no expiration date. It's not based on an era, fad, or trend. It is music that will transcend the years. His songs are timeless and will still be interpreted the way they were when they were first written.
Up to this point in his career, Stephen has been fortunate to work on songs which have featured the artists T-Pain, Snoop Dog, Bobby Valentino, Yung Joc, Joel Madden (Good Charlotte), Mario Winans, Billy Idol, Robbie Williams, Scott Storch, Ya Boy, Donnie Klang and Carmine Gotti.
He has also shared the stage with household names such as Backstreet Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Jesse McCartney, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Shontelle, Kool and the Gang, Day 26, Simple Plan, Rob Thomas, Gavin Degraw, Wynter Gordon, D.J Class, and Donnie Klang.
His catchy melodies, unique lyrics, and moving beats make it hard for anyone to dislike his music. His fresh sound is exactly what the industry needs, and Stephen Michael is destined for superstardom. He has been referred to by many industry professionals as “The Next Big Thing.”
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