Author C. Rance Redman's Page

It's a bird. It's a plane. No it's Steph Jones chillin' with Red today. Call him "The International Superstar". Call him "The International Model". Call him "The Bad Ass Singer". I call him "Mr. Cool", but he said no, call him "Mr. Ordinary". So I said "Mr. Ordinary let's talk some music" and then he was like "Whussup sir" and then I was like "Cool" and he was like "I will def... get to this tonight"...and the rest is celebrity history.

Steph is an energetic, fun, but serious artist. He has always had the gift of song in him "...trying to do music and modeling at the same time, and modeling just took off". It's difficult to believe that this high profile "alien" is sooo down-to-earth. Since he signed with Disturbing The Peace (DTP) with my boy Ludacris, the world has taken notice. But, for us true fans that listened to him grow these past few years, we know it was slow rise to the top. Ok, ok, the interview...


Red: What are you doing right now?

Steph: I love people watching at Starbucks, popping bubble wrap, extreme sports, paint balling and a few million other things, I'm like a big kid.

Red: (Laughing) So what are you doing musically with yourself?

Steph: I am working on several movie soundtracks, which I cant really discuss right now. I worked with Jessie McCartney, Jordin Sparks, Chingy, B.O.B, Blake Lewis and a few up and comers as far as writing goes.

Red: Can we hear some samples?

Steph: Yes. My new website will be up in the next couple of weeks at http://www.stephjonesgalaxy.com/

Red: Jeez how do I get there? I mean you are dropping some big names...

Steph: Just do your best to make music from your heart and soul. Your soul never lies.

Red: Your creative process... do you have like a ritual or structured way of approaching a song?

Steph: It's a bit unorthodox because I dont really have a set creative process. It all comes from inspiration and I'm inspired by life...

Red: And women... so how did you get your start?

Steph: When I sang "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton at my 12th grade graduation and how it made everyone cry.

Red: Influences? Name who really had an effect on Mr. Ordinary...

Steph: My mom and music in general.

Red: So Mom had a big influence... does she help keep you focused?

Steph: Goals like buying my mom her dream house and being a part of a young generation that has content of subtance to offer the world.

Red: For those that don't know, why do they call my main man Steph the "Mo' City Alien"?

Steph: I was born in Houston and raised in Missouri City, Texas.

Red: Thanks for chillin with me man. So, where can we find your music?

Steph: Well right now you can find it on Myspace www.myspace.com/stephjones2, www.youtube.com/mocityalien and pretty soon I will have some stuff up on iTunes. I gotta run now but def thanks for the interest and support sir...

The instant classic Urban Renaissance was his debut album. Since then he has emerged as a greater force lyrically, as he has matured as an emcee with a fierce command of flow and a sense of humor to match. Willie Spade is definitely ahead of his time.



Red: Spade you are from the south right?



Red: Smashing the competition. How did it all begin?

Spade: I was born into it, not necessarily wanting to be a rap artist, just always around and creating music in a way. My father was always singing in the house, I used to dub tapes of me singing or even in a few instances rapping. My father ended up getting a computer somewhere down the line, and I would actually sample beats from a CD player run them into sound recorder and loop them, the record my vocals and mix them into sound recorder as well just to make songs...It wasn't until I met another local rapper named "Per'Pos" that I came into fruition about doing music seriously.

Red: To whom do you attribute some of your influence as a powerful emcee?

Spade: Too many to name, but as far as Mainstream, Em, Luda, Jada, Biggie & Pac of course, but as far as underground Loaded Lux, Joell Ortiz Serius Jones...

Red: I've seen you grow phenomenally over the past few years, but still keep it fresh...

Spade: ...Unlimited creativity, the premise that I can do anything I want to a track, the effort behind it and the expressions from people when they finally get a finish product... I'm also very hard to please...I get a thrill when I finish new joints, but I grow tired of them and just wanna see how much clever I can be and how much further I can stretch out.

Red: So explain the complex way in which you create a new joint?

Spade: It's not really that complex. I try to envision what a beat says to me, and embody a concept inside of it. Then I kind of go scatter brain and write lyrics or ideas down and patch them all together, and hopefully I'll come up with something..(laughing)

Red: What's popping in the studio these days?

Spade: I'm finishing the Gump Gumbo mixtape as we speak which is a southern genre album that's more upbeat and catchy then my prior darker and more concentrated material..it's a new Vibe for me, As well as finishing up The Civil War which is a mixtape I started with Na'Ledge who was born in NY. The idea behind it is to mesh a Yankee and southern sound and produce a solid project. So far our efforts have far exceeded his, mine, and everyone's expectations.

Red: You've gained so much, so rapidly. How?

Spade: Invest patience. Invest originality; and most importantly invest. There is a lot of money in this game. Still to get, but you'll spend a whole lot of cash before you will even create a buzz.

Red: Besides music, how do you occupy your time?

Spade: I'm a very creative media person. I direct, edit, and arrange all my own music vids, but I've always been big on making movies. Visual and vocal media really take the cake. I've made several little clips and vids on Youtube, as well as directed my own animated film. I'm also a big video game junkie if anyone has the heart to man-up on some fight night GET AT ME!

Red: New fans of Willie Spade can find albums online?

Spade: Google "Willie Spade" (laughing). I'm everywhere, but my most updated content is either on http://www.myspace.com/williespade or http://www.youtube.com/williespade My first studio album "The Urban Renaissance" is available on www.cdbaby.com/williespade or you can download my mixtape "The Famine" at http://datpiff.com/Willie-Spade-The-Famine-mid9522.html

Red: How did Verbal's music journey begin?

Verbal: I realized music was for me when I was about 9 or 10. When I started learning steelpan and guitar I was like proper into it and just feeling the vibes. Then nearly all ma' family play a instrument, so growing up around them and seeing them progress and stuff just made me wanna' do music even more.

Red: So your family got you into music from the start?

Verbal: My Family (Miles and Duncan James, my aunty and Dad), Jimmy Hendrix, Miles Davis, Sweet Sticks, YOKA, Diva Geek and that whole circle man! (laughing) Pantasia and Other Steelbands.

Red: You had great taste very early...

Verbal: Thats instrumentally... MCing and producing wise... S.K.A (K-smallz, Street Focus, A.R, Big Mike, Grafter, Mezar, Rhys), Slum Village, Dr.Dre, Eminem, Mobb deep, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Juice, Outkast, Sa-ra, Street Journalist, Q-tip, A Tribe Called Quest, Talib Kweli, J Dilla, Madlib, Black Star, Kano... the Grime scene as a whole. Nas, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, The Streets, Mikey G, Davinche... there's more, but it's long! (laughing)

Red: Give my readers a little background info

Verbal: I'm born and raised in Tottenham North London, 17 now soon be 18, and just always been interested in music...used to play alot of football like most kids (laughing), but that flopped after that I started getting into hip hop and trying to freestyle. My cuz Grafter and Mezar use to bunk off and just practice in the music deep. It was funny boy (laughing)... after that, Grime came and here I am now. Doing a bit of everything.

Red: What brings on your inspiration?

Verbal: Seeing people moving forward, hearing good music, and the growing support from people in general.

Red: What's your creative process?

Verbal: ...how i write bars? Well basically normally I hear the beat first. I feel the vibes and the concept comes from listening to the beat. This may sound funny, but the beat will talk to you (laughing) If you know, you know; if you don't, you don't, but I'm being real!

Red: So once it's there, you just feel it?

Verbal: ...yeah once I get a concept, a flow will come to my head and I'll just be grooving. Then I get a starting line and the rest is history as they say. Once I got that first line it's gameover ya dig!

Red: So what projects do you have in the making?

Verbal: Right now I'm working on a video which should be out soon! The tune is called TAKE ME HIGHER. I'm working on a promo with K smallz which has a couple funky house bangers on it. I'm working on my mixtape POETRY AND FLOW which is pretty much all Hip-hop, and I'm working on my promo SOLID SOUNDS which is pretty much all Grime and Pop.

Red: A lot of young artists want to know your secret to success. Any advise?

Verbal: Advice, expect to knocked back 80% when your starting it. Happens to the best of us... just keep pursuing, working hard, and producing good music, then your time will come. I say make a load of free CD's and just hand them around...when you get a big support base all you can do is move forward.

Red: When Verbal isn't making music Verval is...?

Verbal: I do photography and designs other than music... nothing special. Play football(soccer) and do a bit of coaching with the youngsters.

Red: For people interested in finding more of your music they can go where?

Verbal: You can find my music on Myspace. I also got a CD floating around called A LONG TIME COMING. You can download it off my myspace http://www.myspace.com/VERBALARTIST

Thanks for reading!
As verbal put it "There you go fam". Check out his music now!