“I got diagnosed when I was 23. My doctor said it had been dormant for 4 years before I got diagnosed with it. About July 2001 my voice started acting funny. I didn’t have a cold or nothing. I got the flu. In November I had got the flu again. And this time I couldn’t hold down water. When I went to the emergency room I told my doctor that I was having trouble with my right eye. It was kind of blurry. The doctor said they couldn’t see anything wrong with the lenses of my eye. But I told the doctor that I had trouble seeing out of my eye. After an eye clinic appointment and 3 hours of eye tests there wasn’t anything. So they gave me an MRI. That determined that I had 3 small leisure’s in the shape of a triangle. That was a symptom of MS. I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was like one day I couldn’t get out the bed”.

After having such a set back with your health, which caused a delay in making music; what is your motivation to continue?

SL: Well, what my motivation or what I like to say is…a lot of cats out there right now, their motivation is strictly money. And that’s not mine. Being in this industry, the money comes along with it if you’re successful. My motivation is basically telling a story. And if you tell a good story all of that will just follow suit. I’m in it for the love of it. I don’t care what your job is…if you can make a living, a good living off of what you love to do…there’s no great job than that. I love to sing. I’ve been singing since I’ve was 4 or 5 years old.

How come artists tend to feel the younger you are singing the more incredible you are?

SL: I have no idea. I couldn’t answer that. I didn’t really know. It was Easter and I was in my grandfather’s church. And he had a little podium. And you could either say a poem, read a verse or sing…whatever. And I sang ‘This Little Light of Mine’ and I thought I did something wrong because everybody was standing up, clapping and carrying on. And my aunt, she’s a gospel singer herself. And she said, ‘no Steven. That’s a good thing’. And then my pops he kind of introduced me to that old school music. He taught me how to listen to music. He taught me to listen behind what their saying. He said when you listen to a song, you want to be able to separate immediately, what you have going on and go right into that story. Even if it relates to you or it doesn’t relate to you. Like a blues singer, he might be singing about having a bad day or how his girl left him. He might not be going through it, but you should be able to put yourself in that singer’s shoes after he’s sang a song. That’s how you know a singer is successful at what he’s doing. If you can put yourself where that singer is…you’ve done your job. But its just story telling, that’s all it is.

Do you think music is the best form of story-telling?

SL: It’s one of the best forms of story-telling. Some people won’t even get a book to read. They’d rather listen to music. For me, in anyway I’m feeling, I can find a song that relates to it. If I’m having a bad day, I can put something on that will lift me up or put something on that will make me madder. It doesn’t matter. I can always find a song that will fit my situation. Or one of my friends might have gone through something. I can tell his story through my voice. Especially with Gospel; gospel is good news. So, you’re singing Gospel, you spreading the word. You’re spreading the truth. And you want to know that whomever is listening to your gospel song, that they listen and feel where you coming from. Just use the voice that God gave you. I do believe that it’s a gift. Everybody had their own gift. Some people are gifted in sports. Some are gifted in cooking. Or whatever it may be, that’s your gift. If you find that gift and if you focus on that gift then you use it to the best of your abilities.

When did things start to happen for you?

SL: When I was in Indianapolis…matter of fact, I was on my way to move back to Dallas. And I met these cats just through friends or whatever. And I sang for them and they said ok Steve lets go to the studio. I only did one song and it was just…silent. And they were like ok, we really got something here. That’s what kept me up there. The music is what’s really kept me up there. In Indianapolis, I sang around town. I had the opportunity to open up for Carl Thomas. I opened up for Whodini, the old school rap group. I sang at hair shows, fashion shows, church. I sing wherever really. If somebody says ‘you want to sing’? I say yes.  Once I hooked up with Gents Music…we vibed. And the feeling that we had was great. It was awesome. I met a couple of people before them but they weren’t talking about too much of nothing. One sister was excellent, but she mainly does the hard rap tracks. And I couldn’t sing the way I wanted to sing over those hard beats. I want a more smooth, more melodic…because I’m not a thug. You can’t try to sit up there and sing over thugged out beats if you’re not a thug. It wouldn’t come out right. I’ve never been a thug.

What if you get a deal but they want to change your style to adjust with what sells. How do you approach that tactic?

SL: Well, it’s to a certain extent. They can definitely help because they know. They are the record company and they want to sell. But as far as I’m concerned…if their not going to outrageous for me…I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But everybody can use a little makeover or whatever. I mean, I still got to be me. You can’t be on stage, wearing this and wearing that but deep in your heart you know that’s not who you are. And you just up there trying to make money and the record company is just trying to get as much as they can out of you.  I think that might be a bit of challenge but I think I’d be able to handle it.

How would you describe your style?

SL: My style is more or less laid back. It’s a real cool vibe. Some of my closest friends, their nickname for me is ‘grandpa’ cause 9 times out of 10 I’m listening to music that was done 20, 30, 40 years ago.

And why is that?

SL: It sounds better. It sounds real.

Is it more of the sound or more of what their saying?

SL: It’s both of those. You know them cats are singing. You know they aren’t tweaking’ their voice in the studio. Cause anybody know-a-days can go in the studio and hit that button and have you hit that high C note. But when it comes to being on stage, you can’t sing that note. And everybody’ like…they waiting for that big high note and you can’t do it. I think that is the worst thing about going to concerts. It’s very rare that you can get somebody on stage that can sound like they do on the CD. When I sing, I want people to feel it in their left or right kidney. I want them to feel me that deep. These young cats, you can’t get that feeling out of them. They’re just singing about whatever it is their singing about but it’s not anything substantial. And all of them are singing about the same damn thing. That’s the same with the hip hop community: talking about their cars, clothes…their cane.

What is it about an artist that can create an ‘aura’ about themselves?

SL: Like I said. They hit somebody in the right or left kidney somewhere. And they do tell a story.

What is your goal as a singer?

SL: I want somebody to listen to me sing. It’s like a movie; I want them to see what I am going through in that song.

What can the world expect from you?