Steven Malcolm
Appearing on Unity Main Stage Presented by Country Dairy – 2022 – Wednesday, August 10, 2022
A multi-cultural hip-hop artist, Steven Malcolm’s songs are grounded in faith, fiercely-delivered rhymes, and a willingness to blur the lines between genres. It’s an approach that’s earned the songwriter five Dove Award nominations, more than 31 million on-demand streams, and an audience that’s just as diverse as his own influences, bridging the gap between the worlds of commercial rap, pop, Christian music, and reggae.
Raised in western Michigan and coastal Florida, Steven Malcolm grew up in search of a guiding light. His father, a native Jamaican, was deported back to the Caribbean when Steven was 10 years old. He passed away before the two could reunite. Steven’s mother struggled as a single parent and eventually left town, too, leaving Steven to fend for himself as a young college student in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His life lacked a clear direction until he accepted a friend’s invitation to attend a local church service that incorporated hip-hop, dance, and worship. There, Steven found not only a supportive community, but also an opportunity to make message-driven music. Newly inspired, he released an independent album, Monster’s Ink, and signed a deal with Word Entertainment, becoming the first rap artist on the label’s roster.
If Monster’s Ink turned Steven into hip-hop’s newest up-and-comer, then Steven Malcolm — his self-titled, major-label debut — established him as a commercial juggernaut, with songs like “Hot Boy” and the pop-rap tune “Party in the Hills” becoming hits. He continued crystallizing his sound with 2019’s The Second City, a hard-hitting, lyrically-driven record that focused on messages of hope, redemption, and ambition. “Fuego” highlighted Steven’s Jamaican roots and reggae influences (both of which would be showcased again in 2020, when he teamed up with Shaggy for the larger-than-life “Fuego Remix”), while “Even Louder” caught the attention of seven-time Grammy nominee Natalie Grant, who joined Steven on the song’s wildly popular, Dove-nominated remix.
From his cinematic music videos to his diverse, hard-driving music, Steven Malcolm continues making art that breaks boundaries and inspires listeners to become better versions of themselves.
