Rising Croydon-raised rapper Stepz talks origins, co-signs, latest single “Whistle” and his upcoming project. 

In this new age of social media where music thrives when accompanied by a strong marketing strategy, some artists push the boundaries to create their own viral content. Standing tall amongst this calibre is Stepz, who has showcased how to do both simultaneously. The past 12 months have been his most memorable, finding the balance between content creating and being able to provide head bopping anthems as he establishes an ever-growing audience.

Whilst his talent is undeniable, he puts his faith at the forefront of guiding him towards his newfound successes. Recent singles “Rock” and “Whistle” have seen the Croydon-born star swap South London for the stateside, as he embarks on a life-changing journey. As Stepz prepares for a debut project this spring, Wonderland caught up with the viral star to speak on his latest music, finding the balance in his career, being co-signed by Kai Cenat and much more.

Watch the visuals for “Whistle”…

Read the interview…

So Stepz, can you tell us more about your recent single “Whistle”?

“Whistle” portrays the image of people that should be following Christ. I’m still a cool kid, I’m not a badman. Being a cool kid, I follow Christ, and I’m still respected. I was trying to portray to the youth that you don’t need to be a badman to live life and be rated. You don’t need to do wickedness. You can be yourself and be who you are.

You’re making it a normality to create these head-bopping releases. What’s your musical process when in the studio? Do you have a concept in mind, or do you need to hear a sound first?

For me, I just let it flow. I rap about the morals of Christ. I rap about being a sort of way or type of person. I don’t make every song such a Christian song, but the character of a Christian portrays within my music. I also think about what I want in the music video as I’m rapping when making a song.

How much creative freedom do you have for your visuals? Is this important to have as an artist?

I actually do have creative freedom. With “Rock”, I actually came up with that idea.  Kevin Hudson heard my idea and done a great job. He put it together amazingly. He made the imagery which I wanted to portray. All my music videos, I come up with the ideas and give them to the camera production teams, allowing them to create a perspective that makes sense.

Let’s touch on your previous single “Rock”. It successfully reached number one in the TikTok billboards. Did you envision the amount of success the song has had so far?

When I made the song, it was so random. It was never planned! I kind of just go with the spirit that is leading me. That song in particular, I’m a fun person and I found the song entertaining. I liked it so much I thought let me preview this. I asked one of my manager’s if I could post it as a preview. I had a habit of posting new music because I was so hungry for the next single. At that time, I didn’t really understand where I wanted to go with music, but with the help of my managers I now understand my direction. It gave me the confidence to just post my music. I posted my music on my pages and the interactions were amazing. From when I heard that, I thought even if the numbers don’t come today, they’re going to come! I continued to push it and it done what it did. I don’t take no credit, it’s all Jesus Christ!

You’ve also been working in the states, what was that experience like and how does it feel to be recognised outside of the UK?

Man, it’s amazing! It’s kind of unexplainable. I never thought in life that ‘d have my song plating inside a stadium. They didn’t even play my lyrics, just the instrumental but I’m still grateful. Big up Will for the amazing beat that we created! It was amazing, and great to hear it.

How do you find the balance between creating content and creating music for your fans? When do you know the right time to push both of these?

With my managers Fola and Frank, they help with that. I would also say it’s the understanding of just being myself. With myself, I like to create content and a certain type of music. If I’m not feeling it, there won’t be no consistency with it. As Fola and Frank allow me to do what I like, I’m able to be consistent with both.

Where did the name Stepz come from?

I used to dance with my friends a lot. I needed a cool name to start my journey, and my boy Wamz came up with the name Stepz. I thought it made sense. I’m a very fast person, I’m good at football and I dance!

When did you know music was not just a hobby but something you wanted to push as a career option? 

I realised during “Whistle”. Just having a community around me of people that believe in Christ. During “Whistle”, it was such an amazing day. That day made me realise that this career is really from God.

What would you say has been a career highlight for yourself so far?

Probably the start of my career. The reason why is because I understood the type of person I was and now I understand the type of person that I am. 

Who has been your craziest co-sign?

Kai Cenat! When he listened to my music, I was so gassed. I’ve been watching him from young, since his college videos. He was just chilling in the sauna, live streaming, listening to my music!

What can we expect from Stepz for the remainder of 2025?

We have my EP “Good Influence” which will be dropping later this spring. I will be streaming soon, doing YouTube way more. My headline show will be towards the end of the year. When “Good Influence” comes out, it’s probably going to be one of my greatest achievements.

What can we expect from “Good Influence” and why now to release the project?

You can expect five songs on the project. What made me realise that this is the time is Jesus showed me. I’m here to show people you can be a good person, and you don’t have to be a badman to get attention or gain respect, you can stay true, walk the right path, and still be rated.

Who are three artists currently at the top of your playlist?

Jo Joey, that’s number one! He’s a rapper from Croydon. I’m born and raised in Croydon and he’s one the olders. I love DC3. One of my favourites. I also love Stormzy.

What advice can you give for those looking to pursue music as a career choice?

Make sure that you’re doing this with pure intention and belief. The way you’re going to win is with Jesus Christ and if you’re not religious, my advice would be to have faith. Never give up no matter the trials and tribulations you may go through, you are stronger than you think.

Words – Jordan McDonald