Background
Rac3r Stef is a 16-year-old artist out of Miami, FL who is bubbling in the underground.
He was originally a producer and DJ but decided to step into the rap scene head-on. He said when he was coming up with his name, he was driving his mom’s new car and had his friend with him. His friend said that he drove like a racer, and that just so happened to stick. He knew the name had to be with him when he performed his first show.
Rac3er said he always knew that when he would perform live that he would deliver an experience to remember. He told me a story about when he used to DJ.
“I was DJ-ing a house party and I had just dropped my tape at the time,” he said. “This was the first time I DJ-ed my own music. Even though it was only 60 people, seeing that they were jumping around to my music while I wasn’t even performing it was the moment where I realized that when I did a show, it was going to be fucking insane.”
Rac3r Stef’s Inspirations
Rac3r said he’s trying to hit a sweet spot in between Playboi Carti and Travis Scott. He draws inspiration from Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Slipknot, Korn, and even some EDM artists. Outside of music, he draws inspiration from James Terrell and any Egyptian/Middle Eastern architecture.
Growing up in Miami, Rac3r was close to Broward County, the infamous hotspot for the rising stars of the 2016-17 SoundCloud wave.
“That generation showed people how you can work towards your ambitions and not go through a third party, like a label,” he said.
Rac3r Stef as an Artist
When asked how he would describe his sound, Rac3r says it varies. He explained that he will load ten beats at a time and experiment on each until he’s satisfied with his product. This process is how he makes all his music. He enjoys all his music. He blares his music in his car to pick it apart and see how he can improve.
Rac3r says he likes to dress minimalistic in Rick Owens but will delve into other brands like Balenciaga and AWGE. He explained that Rick Owens goes way past the rappers wearing it, and has a deeper, cult-like culture. He was lucky enough to be close to one of 12 Rick Owens stores in the entire world.
“Travesties” by Rac3r Stef
Rac3r explained that when he looks for beats, instead of looking up type-beats of artists, he goes directly to people who produce for artists that he takes inspiration from. For example, on track 1, “Intense/Insane,” Rac3er contacted two people that have worked with the English artist Lancey Foux.
“I feel like that rules out people saying, ‘you’re using beats artists already have used,’ but I’m getting them the same person who is sending them to those artists,” Rac3r explained.
The production value of this 6-song EP is that of a mainstream artist. Rac3r has a beat selection of a seasoned vet of the scene. He wanted to evoke a rollercoaster feeling.
“You start off hype as fuck, then a slower track, then it picks up again for the last two tracks,” he said. “A lot of my projects really have no aim, the only thing I’m trying to spread is good music. I’m trying to diversify the sound to show people that there are people that can hop anything and deliver a good song.”
Rac3r Stef’s First Show
“The first time I felt like the name came into fruition was when I opened for Ken “The first time I felt like the name came into fruition was when I opened for Ken [Car$on]” Rac3er said. “The whole crowd was chanting ‘racer, racer, racer’ and I thought, ‘yeah this shit is going to stick.”
Rac3r said that he was sitting in a ceremony and decided to DM the people hosting the Ken Car$on show. He told them that he was certain he could sell the tickets, so they took the gamble. Obviously, Rac3er delivered.
“I feel like that’s the craziest feeling I’ve ever felt,” Rac3r said. “Getting on the stage for the first time, and embracing that moment was truly one of my best experiences.”
Networking
Rac3r made some major connections early on in his career, being seen with the likes of Ken Car$on and Destroy Lonely and having cover art done by Korro. You can even spot Rac3r Stef in a music video for Wifisfuneral and Robb Bank$ off their collab tape.
“I’ve been making connections since I was 13, selling sneakers,” he said. “You don’t need an audience to build connections, as long as you start building connections from day one, all that work pays off. Not only music connections but also people who do clothes and fashion.”
He then went on to tell me how his talent alone gained the attention of Korro, an artist who does work for artists like Iayze and Destroy Lonely.
“He did the flyer for the Destroy Lonely show we were supposed to do,” he said. “I was in NY at the time finishing up the album, and I see a notification that said ‘ayokorro tagged you in a story.’ So, I tried to DM him, but then he commented under my post and said, ‘hey I tried to DM you but it’s not working,’ so we followed each other and went from there. I sent him a couple of tracks from the tape for his own inspiration and the cover came out amazing.”
Rac3r added that he has connections to producers like CashHeart, who has produced for Yeat, Icarus, who has produced for Glaive, Henes, who has produced for Lancey Foux, Dynox of Internet Money Records, xdkole, who is affiliated with the Underworld Collective, and many more.
Rac3r said he approaches these people as equals, and not as a fan. With these many connections early on in his career, he wants people to know that he had to work hard for these connections, and nothing was handed to him.
Rac3r Stef’s Future
Next month, Rac3r Stef will be releasing an EP. He wants to title, “Allstar Racing Team,” or “A.R.T.”
“It’s going to be one most well-produced EPs to come out this year,” he said. “All the tracks have value and substance; a lot of hype shit, maybe one or two slower tracks.”
He said he’s gearing up for more shows this Summer. He wants to perform in NYC, LA, and obviously Miami.
“We’re definitely going for that Summer sound,” Rac3r said. “I gotta give the people music to jump around and mosh to.”
You can follow him on Instagram @rac3rstef, his SoundCloud is Rac3r Stef, and same with his Spotify/Apple Music.
