Let’s Get Familiar: Stepp Santana Wants You to Hear His First Three Singles in Order

By Bebe Flight | Let’s Get Familiar

The Bound Brook, New Jersey artist talks about becoming a father at 15, how A$AP Mob shaped his sense of style, and why “loyalty > royalty” had to come first.

I asked Stepp Santana for one song to introduce himself. He gave me three, and he was very specific about the order. Honestly, that's a better introduction than any elevator pitch.

Start with “loyalty > royalty,” the foundation: family, trust, and the people who showed up before any success. Follow it with “velvet dreams,” which opens a window into his emotions and experiences. Then play “walk the world,” where he lets himself experiment and have some fun. Three songs, three sides of the same artist.

The Bound Brook, New Jersey creative is a father, musician, and someone whose interests reach into art and fashion. He became a dad at 15, draws inspiration from everyone from Lauryn Hill to A$AP Mob, and isn't interested in being boxed into one sound. Rather than tell his story for him, I asked him to tell it himself.

For someone meeting Stepp Santana for the first time, what should they know about you before they press play?

As a first-time listener, before pressing play, they should know that I’m a father who loves to create anything from music to art and even fashion.

I want you to get a feel for who I really am beyond what you see online. The music is a reflection of my own life, my experiences, my emotions, and the things I don’t always express out loud. I make music that people can relate to, whether it’s love, pain, growth, or just enjoying life. I’m a father first, so everything I create has a deeper meaning behind it. I want people to hear the different sides of me, from the melodic and emotional records to the more upbeat, alternative sounds. Overall, I want my music to feel like an extension of my personality and the world I come from.

How has growing up in New Jersey shaped your music, and what first made you want to tell your own stories through songs?

Growing up in New Jersey shaped me in ways I’m still discovering today. Being exposed to different environments at such a young age allowed me to see both sides of life, the good and the bad, the love and the loss, and just different paths people can take depending on their circumstances. Losing loved ones, becoming a father at a young age, and having to carry a lot of responsibility early on all played a major role in shaping my perspective. These experiences gave me a real story to speak on and made me realize that music could be an outlet for things I didn’t and don’t always know how to express.

I want my music to reflect where I come from, what I’ve been through, and the person I’m becoming. New Jersey is a part of my identity, and you can hear that through the emotion, honesty, and different influences in my sound.

Watch Stepp Santana perform for bar4bar.tv: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeKKfieBjnS/

Watch Stepp Santana perform for Judge Sole London: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DecL_QTTP13/

Your sound brings together hip hop, emo and experimental influences. Which artists helped open that creative door for you, and how did you find your own voice within those sounds?

My influences come from a range of artists and genres. Artists like Lil Wayne and Lauryn Hill taught me the importance of storytelling, while others like Juice WRLD inspired me to blend emotions and vulnerability into hip hop. A huge part of me stems from inspiration behind A$AP Mob, which my approach to fashion, visuals, and overall creative aesthetic leans towards. Post Malone, Jorja Smith, and N.E.R.D. opened my ears to experimenting outside the traditional sounds of rap music.

I think finding my own sound came from not limiting myself to one lane. I take inspiration from different eras, genres, and cultures, but I always bring it back to my own life experiences and feelings. I never wanted to sound like one particular artist, and I want my music to feel unpredictable but still personal, blending melodic rap, alternative influences, and raw emotion in a way that represents who I am.

You became a father at 15. What did becoming a parent so young teach you about yourself, and how has that experience shaped the artist you’re becoming?

Becoming a father at 15 taught me to be prepared for anything and everything because life can change in an instant. Patience has been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, along with understanding the true meaning of responsibility, sacrifice, and living for something bigger than myself. Fatherhood changed my priorities and gave me a different perspective on life at a young age. It made me think differently about the decisions I make, the way I move, and the things I put out into the world. Even with my music, everything has a deeper purpose now. I’m not just creating for myself anymore; I’m building something my son can look back on and be proud of.

He’s my biggest motivation, and everything I do comes back to him. Being a father has shaped me as a man just as much as it has shaped me as an artist.

Your single “loyalty > royalty” makes a statement before we even hear a note. What does loyalty mean to you, and what inspired you to build a song around it?

Loyalty means everything to me; staying down, remaining true to what you believe in, and standing behind the people and things you’re building. Words mean nothing without action to back them up. The inspiration behind “loyalty > royalty” came from realizing how much loyalty plays a role in every aspect of my life, from relationships and friendships to music and business. As I continue to grow, I’ve learned the importance of recognizing who genuinely stands with you and who’s only around for the moment of success. I wanted to make a record that reflects those values because the community I’m building around my music is rooted in loyalty, trust, and authenticity. So to me, no amount of success, money, or recognition is worth sacrificing those things for, and that’s why loyalty will always mean more than royalty.

Watch Stepp Santana perform “loyalty > royalty” for Sky High Performances: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdCS4rbzt80/

Between “loyalty > royalty,” “velvet dreams,” and “walk the world,” which song would you introduce yourself with, and what would you want a new listener to understand from it?

I’d introduce myself the same way we dropped our first three singles, because I feel like the release order tells a story about who I am and what we’re building moving forward. “loyalty > royalty” represents the foundation and expresses why I’m so heavy on loyalty, staying true to family, and appreciating the people who came along with me from the start. “velvet dreams” gives people a deeper look into my emotions and experiences, while “walk the world” represents another side of me creatively, allowing myself to step outside the box and have fun with music.

As you build toward your 2027 project, what are you discovering about your sound, and what do you want to give yourself permission to explore?

I’m learning that my sound reflects who and what I am as a person. I’m discovering my own pocket and understanding what sounds genuinely represent me instead of forcing myself into areas. Moving toward 2027, I want to give myself the time to experiment, expand my sound, and explore different influences without losing the authenticity behind it. My biggest goal is to create great, relatable music that anyone can connect with, regardless of where they come from or what they’ve experienced.

When someone finishes this interview and spends time with your music, what do you hope they feel or understand about Stepp Santana?

I hope people walk away feeling understood, heard, and appreciated. We all experience our own battles, storms, and even beautiful moments in life, which makes no two journeys the same. We all have struggles that we’re trying to overcome, and I want my music to be a reminder that you’re never alone in what you’re feeling. I hope it motivates people to keep going, keep striving, and continue pushing through whatever life throws their way. It’s okay to feel what you feel, and through my music, I want to create a space where people can relate, find comfort, and feel connected to something bigger than themselves.

Editor's note: Stepp Santana's written responses have been lightly edited for length, grammar, and clarity without changing their meaning. The combined question in his submission has been separated into two questions.

Your listening assignment, in Stepp's order: “loyalty > royalty,” “velvet dreams,” then “walk the world” (https://lnk.to/SSWTW). Follow Stepp Santana at @steppsantana (https://www.instagram.com/steppsantana/).