Saint John rapper Stephen Hero teams up with Uncle Fester and Moka Only for debut single from forthcoming album.
Matt Carter
I can remember my dad, a devoted Saint Johner (born and raised) sitting on the couch watching hockey on Saturday nights when I was a kid. Whenever Boston would score a goal, he would leap up to a standing position, throw a fist in the air and yell, “He scores!,” at the top of his lungs with little care to what else was going on in our house at the time or who might be asleep. These were moments of pure joy for my dad. Something to break the monotony of parenthood in the winter. None of his five children were asking for money or a drive somewhere, or for permission to do anything. In these moments, my dad was free to be excited about something that mattered deeply to him and react however he pleased.
I get this way too, sometimes, when something good happens to something or someone I believe in. In some ways, Saint John rapper Stephen Hero has become my Boston Bruins. I have followed his career the way others may follow professional sports. I geek out on the details; the small bits that may not matter to the casual listener. The collaborations, the beats and production, the career developments and the opportunities they may bring. All that stuff gets me excited. When it comes to Stephen Hero, I am a believer.
So I was obviously thrilled Fredericton rapper Monark joined Hero on the track Pack Rats off his 2021 album Eat The Rich. It was very much a “He scores!,” moment because, to me at least, it meant he was sinking deeper into the regional hip hop community. Finding his place. I saw it as a moment of acceptance, the moment Hero’s position in regional hip hop was finally validated in some small but meaningful way. And from there, things have continued to ramp up for Saint John’s unofficial poet laureate. Last year he released his first single produced by Halifax hip hop guru Uncle Fester and appeared on a live studio recording with Waants, LXVNDR, and producer Daniel James. He scores!
All these developments begged the question: where does an east coast rapper go next without leaving his home turf? The answer soon became evident. How about recording a full album with Fester and dropping a new single featuring multi Juno Award winner Moka Only? That’s a good place to start.
Hero’s new single One Square at Time is one of his smoothest yet. With a laid back, inspiring beat from Fester and a solid verse from Only – one of Canada’s all time smoothest lyricists – One Square at Time positions Hero as an important angle in a trifecta of Canadian hip hop greatness as he rolls out a pair of interconnected verses that meet Only’s award winning delivery in perfect compliment. The full album The Squeeze arrives in the fall and I cannot wait to hear it. Keep your eyes and ears open for more Hero in the months ahead. For now, enjoy this latest single.
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