Behind the Minds Eye - Stevo

Peace everyone this is Costa bringing you an depth look at one of my favorite emcees Stevo. We are taking a look at his past, present and the bright future he has ahead of him.

1) Stevo whats your story, who is Stevo?
My name is Steven Ragan. I was born September 13, 1986 at a Jackson, Mississippi hospital. I got my name from my god-father Steven Brown. While in Middle school I was threw out the house by my mother because I wanted to see my father and that changed my entire life. I grew more angrily at the way my life was going without my mother or her side of the family. I grew up feeling alone all the time because of it. Me and my father later had a misunderstanding so I started living with high school friends and often people I didn’t know; I felt as if no one care for me anymore and all I really had that I could call mine was music. “U should write about it,” is what a good friend told me and from there instead of crying about my pains, I wrote about them. This is why I sing, this is why I make the songs I make and do the things that I do. Besides, I got tired of hearing the same rotation of music being played on the radio over and over. I felt as if I could pick up a pen and notebook to write my own songs and hear the music that I wanted to hear and so I did.
The creativity that an artist has to create a different and a unique sound, sometimes if someone ever tried to negatively criticize my music and mostly, when I think about all of the things that I’ve been going through, that’s what motivates me to do what I do.

2) What motivates you to do music?
I used to listen to a lot of R-Kelly, Ginuwine , and even Usher for the R&B side, those were my younger days. I actually taught myself how to sing by listening to those guys and try to hit the different notes that they were hitting throughout their songs until I was able to develop my own style. When my life had seemed to get rough, I felt like the world was against me, I started listening to T.I. mostly through high school because I felt like I had to defend myself every time that I stepped off the bus. T.I. taught me not only to defend myself but to look at my situation and how life threw me and get up and try to do something about it. I’ve now started listening to a lot of Drake, to get the poetic and smooth side of me out because I really love to sing as well.

4) What is your thought process when you are making music?
When I’m making music I mostly go off of what or how I’m feeling at the moment. I’ve also been gifted with the talent to hear a type of music and according to what the instruments are playing is where I get my lyrics from. I write according to me and how I’m feeling because I know someone else is feeling the same thing. I don’t have 50 people with me in the studio asking them “does this sound good,” or “do you think people would like this, is it a hit?”

5) What projects are you currently working and where can the 1081 followers get your previous releases?
I’m a fast pace worker, if you hear a song from me saying 2012 and the year is only 2010 then yeah, that’s me. I do all of my work alone. I’m mix-taping right now and have been since 2007. Right now I’m working on my 2012 mix-tape called “2012.” I plan to post some of my latest work on datpiff.com soon and very soon. Even if I have to email tracks to anyone then if that’s the only way the people can get it then let’s get to it, my email is like an interstate do to all the collaborations that I do.

6) Word on the street you play Modern Warfare 2, my kill death ratio is about a 2 : 1.2, whats up with a private deathmatch me, you and EOP?
Yes, I do play Modern Warfare 2 just about everyday. My gamer tag is Ragan6 and I play it for fun or sometimes to get away from stressing out. I’m cool to play with anyone at any time, so add me.

7) Whats next for Stevo, is there anything we need to be on the look out for?
I’m now working with an old high school friend “MAG.” We call ourselves “Sick Muzik Entertainment”, so be on the look out for some more music from me with good quality. If there’s anyone who would like to collaborate with me please feel free to do so, I’m not charging at the moment at all. My email is sragan1@yahoo.com, I’m on facebook, look for Stevo Ragan and my myspace page is www.myspace.com/sragan1 so stop by and show love. Please remember that I’m a regular everyday person just like you, in the words of Drake “please don’t be scared of me.” Thank U

Stevo - Doing My Thang