On my recent trip to Boston, I got the privilege to have a nice little conversation with one of Boston’s rising hip-hop stars; Stephanie Domingo otherwise known as . Coming from a very political family and being an International Relations Major at Boston University, Rapper Steph raps about what is happening now in the world of politics and current events. Stressing involvement and awareness, she projects her views fiercely yet soulfully both on record and during her live shows. “I love performing live, but I’m small so it’s difficult to bring stage presence when you’re my size,” she says when asked about her recent live performances. “I’ve done The Knitting Room in New York and that was fantastic. There’s so much history there. I plan on doing a short North Eastern tour sometime this summer. Boston, Providence, New York. Plus I’m planning on heading out to LA to get some exposure.”

Her musical inspirations range from Jenny Lewis to Mos Def and her lyrical inspirations range from the economic crisis to domestic violence. “I’m just angry and I think that’s a good thing. If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention. There is so much going on right now and I just want people to be aware of the social injustices and corporate greed that is plaguing our world right now.” When asked about her view on being a gay hip-hopper and it’s current scene, she quickly makes known that she is not presenting herself as a “lesbian rapper” per say. “The scene is very small but extremely talented, but I don’t want to be known as a ‘gay hip-hopper,’ I want to be known for what I rhyme about. I’ll talk about social equality when need be, but being gay isn’t what my music is about.”

As someone who has a somewhat fair amount of knowledge of the Boston hip-hop scene, Rapper Steph is one of the most original artists to come out of the scene since and . “Most rappers out here find their niche and stay there and don’t explore or evolve past that. I find that boring. I want to try it all and experiment with my sound. There’s so much out there.”
Agreed.

You can catch the pint sized hip-hopper at Allston, MAs Great Scott tonight with her BU partners and Base Trip Records labelmates, at 9pm.

Rapper Steph – American Dream

The Throwbacks – American Phenomenon

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