Stephen Middleton is a rapper, aspiring sports broadcaster, comedian, and member of Towson’s A-Cappella group-Purrrfect Pitch! He’s motivated and extremely ambitious. Stephen shares with Her Campus his music, passions, and dreams.
Hip-Hop: a combination of stylized rhythmic sounds commonly accompanied by rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted-at least according to the Encyclopedia Britannic. For Stephen Middleton, hip-hop, and rapping in particular, is more than rhythms and sounds. It provides him with the opportunity to turn his thoughts and feelings into an elixir of melodies. Therapeutic. Honest. Entertainment.
Stephen started creating music when he was in high school. First he started beat boxing with his friend who rapped. It was more of a hobby then anything else. Then his friend suggested he start rapping and he fell in love.
“As soon as I started writing I found a passion for it,” he said. “There were a lot of things I wanted to put into a beat and make it a message.”
Stephen says that rapping allows him the platform to share things that are important to him with an audience.
“I write whatever I feel and then I present it to an audience,” he said.
Stephen, works with his friends Patrick Jones and Michael Hayes, collectively known as the Noisemakers, to create music. He says the process of creating a rap varies.
The Noisemakers
“Sometimes I hear a beat and its done in 30 minutes,” he said. “Other times I hear a beat and I have to think on it.”
Stephen says that he finds the whole process very organic. He tries to seize every opportunity he is presented with to entertain a crowd with his music.
“I’ve gone to every open mic I’ve heard about,” he said. “I take every opportunity I have to entertain whether it be spoken word or singing or beat-boxing or rapping.”
Through his attendance at various open mic nights, Stephen has met several musicians with whom he has worked with on various projects-some of which are not hip-hop artists.
“I’m always open-minded,” he said. “I love hearing other people and their musical talents.”
Through his connections he made at the open mikes, Stephen heard about Towson’s A-Cappella group Purrrfect Pitch. He auditioned and is now a member of the group.
Although Stephen is extremely busy, he says he doesn’t see it any other way.
“It’s really difficult,” he said. “You kind of don’t have much of a life outside of it, but that tends to happen when you want to master your craft and you want to be the best at what you are doing.”
Stephen says that he thinks that musicians should create music that they are proud of and to stay true to yourself.
“Write something that you are going to enjoy and you are going to be proud of,” he said. “If they have respect for you as an artist they will enjoy it.”
Even though Stephen ultimately hopes for a career as a sports broadcaster, he says music will always be his passion.
“I love music so much,” he said.