Stevie Stone

Stevie Stone is a man focused on his dream. The local rapper, whose real name is Stephen Williams, is doing everything he can to make it in the hip-hop business, from hiring a manager to starting his own clothing line.

Stone will release his debut solo single, "Use to See Me," through MO Flava Ent. in a show tomorrow night at The Blue Note. He’s headlining there after opening for several big names, including Tech N9ne, Little Scappy and - most notably - Snoop Dogg. The Tribune met with Stone earlier this month at his manager’s house, a sparsely decorated condo in southwest Columbia where Stone often goes to play Xbox and conduct other, er, business. Stone, 23, said he grew up listening to a variety of music, from gospel to hip-hop, and has been writing songs for as long as he can remember. A former Hickman High School basketball player, he considered playing ball in college, but opening for the Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne hooked him on pursuing a music career. The show was in the summer of 2000, shortly after Stone graduated from Hickman. Besides performing in talent shows, it was his first time performing onstage. "After that concert, I never changed my mind," he said. "That’s when I got really dedicated to it."
Stone has been picking up local buzz thanks to his provocative "Rumble in the Zou." The song, in which he chants "M-I-Z-Z-O-U," has been played at some home football games this year. Stone first got experience by writing music to energize the crowd at Hickman, where he wrote little songs the team would chant to jazz up fans. Although rappers have traditionally hailed from the West Coast or East Coast, Midwest rappers - particularly Nelly - have been opening up doors in the heartland. "I think every part is going to have its time," Stone said. "When an area gets hot, it draws everyone in." Stone said he writes all his music. He likes to string words together once a beat line has been laid. "Once we get the concept down, the words just come," he said. Stone said his ultimate goal is to become a famous rapper in the vein of P. Diddy or Master P. Richard King, who owns The Blue Note, said Stone is talented and has potential but said success in the music business is haphazard. "You know, the making-it stuff involves a lot of luck, in my opinion," he said. "But as an artist and a performer, I really find him refreshing." The challenges haven’t stopped Stone from thinking big. He has begun marketing his own clothing line, called Threadstone Apparel. He’s also hired a childhood friend, Calvin McHenry, as his manager. Not surprisingly, Stone cited opening for superstar Snoop Dogg as a career high. "It was incredible," he said. "There were so many people there. It was definitely a rush - probably the highlight so far." So far, it seems Stone isn’t plagued by the soaring ego that is common in the hip-hop world. King agrees. "Personally, I really like working with him," King said. "And his music has a positive message as opposed to some other forms of hip-hop out there." Stone said he hopes for success but considers any opportunity to perform a blessing. "I just always try to be myself," he said. "Music is a part of me. I feel like I’m just sharing something I love with everyone else." Reach Liz Heitzman at (573) 815-1715 or lheitzman@tribmail.com. - Columbia Daily Tribune

By Annie Zaleski
Article Published August 31, 2005

Stevie Stone sports a pristine Cardinals jersey as he sits in the funky downtown offices of Coolfire Media, but the talk on this late-August afternoon has nothing to do with the pennant race. The clean-cut 23-year-old, who bears a resemblance to actor Donald Faison of Scrubs fame, is demonstrating the simple but stylish dance moves that accompany his "Ram Jam" -- the song he hopes the St. Louis Rams will adopt as their theme song this season. "It's actually very easy. When it says, 'Down,' you go like this," he says, and reaches down with his right hand. "Down with the Ram team. When it says, 'Up with the good sack', you just jump four times." Stone raises an arm and hops clockwise in a circle. "Then it says, 'Left with a little swing,' so 'Left with a little swing/Swing on your quarterback.'" He clasps his hands, forming a parallel horizontal line and moves his elbows up and down. "It's pretty much just like what it says." Stone's moves are a far cry from the two left feet Chicago Bears defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry exhibited in the video for 1985's "Super Bowl Shuffle" -- one of the most so-awesomely-bad-it's-awesome novelty hits ever. Still, the aim of "Ram Jam" is similar to the former's message: to pump up Rams players for the long journey to "Motown" -- i.e., Detroit, the site of next year's Super Bowl XL. Judging by the tune's banging beats -- think the TrackBoyz with less hollering but just as much arena-rock bombast -- and its infectious-as-the-flu hooks, "Ram Jam" is worthy of such cheerleading. So how did Stone foster an association with the team? He credits his friendship with right defensive tackle Brian Howard and right defensive end Anthony Hargrove. According to Hargrove, he and some teammates heard Stone's song "Hit It" and loved it. "Me and my buddies liked it so much we said, 'Why don't you do [a song] for the Rams?'" Hargrove says. With that in mind, Stone began freestyling over the framework of that song and rejiggered the lyrics so that it serves as a roll call of Rams players. (Orlando Pace, Leonard Little and Marshall Faulk receive shout-outs.) Adds Hargrove, "We play [the 'Ram Jam'] in the locker room all the time." Stone shot a "Ram Jam" video in late July (on one of the hottest days of the summer, no less) at Downtown Detailing, which is co-owned by Jesse James and Cidell Small III (a.k.a. Three, a.k.a. Nelly's personal assistant). The clip features Rams cheerleaders, players and even kids from the Kids in the Middle, a charity that provides counseling and support for children of divorced parents. If the video sees release, Stone says proceeds will benefit the St. Louis-based nonprofit. Although nothing had been confirmed at press time, the Rams' entertainment department has seen the video and there's talk of using it in some capacity during home games, according to Molly Higgins, corporate communications coordinator for the team. "It's a very high-energy and unique Ram-centric song," Higgins says. Perhaps "Ram Jam" will be the catalyst to jump-start Stone's career. He grew up in Columbia in a musical family, immersed in gospel, blues and hip-hop. (Stone cites Kool Moe Dee, Barry White and Marvin Gaye as sonic presences.) Both his mother and late father (the latter was a preacher) played piano -- as does Stone, who learned to play by ear. "I tried to take piano lessons, but my mom didn't want to pay for the lessons," he says. "I would just watch [the teachers'] hands, but I wouldn't grasp the concept of the actual notes. We would come home and she'd get off work and we'd get to the organ or piano and she'd be like, 'Well, show me what you learned. What is this note? What is this note?' And I'm like, 'I don't know. But I can sit there and play it!' After, like, three months, she's like, 'I'm not wasting my money no more.'" Right after he graduated high school in 2000, Stone made the decision to forgo college and concentrate on his tunes full-time. "It was either basketball or music," he says. "I got to open up for Tech N9ne, the guy from Kansas City, outdoors at the [Missouri State] Fairgrounds. It was crazy. People was crazy. Reporters came up, talking to us afterwards. I was just like: 'This is it!' I've always loved music and always liked dealing with music, but that was like the point in time when I was like, 'I'm stepping out right now.'" Stone now commutes from Columbia to St. Louis and hopes to release an album -- which he's working on with his producer, Frizz, who also programmed the beats on "Ram Jam" -- by next spring. In the meantime he's playing at the Pageant next Friday at the Grammy Demo Review & New Music Spotlight and is penciled in to open for Lil Jon when the Atlanta crunk master next visits St. Louis. And, of course, he's hoping "Ram Jam" has its intended effect on the team. "Adrenaline," he says. "Motivation. It's their own song that they have for this year. It's targeting a goal, it's a - The Riverfront Times