We recently connected with Michael Stover and have shared our conversation below.

Michael , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Becoming a rapper wasn’t always the plan for Big Stove. While many artists struggle to find their purpose in life, Stove’s kind of fell into his lap. After the untimely death of his cousin in 2006, Big Stove vowed to continue his cousin’s dream and legacy through music. Always musically inclined; it comes as no surprise when he’s able to hold a note on his songs as he sang in both a church choir and in the choir of his Alma Mater; Kent State before embarking on his rap career.

Michael , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At first glance; Cleveland, Ohio’s own Michael “Big Stove” Stover is everything you wouldn’t expect a rapper to be. At 6’7, 285lbs, you’ll catch him during any performance light on his feet and owning the stage like one of his idols; the late, great Heavy D. Combine that energetic stage presence with meaningful lyrics that you can understand; and you’d be very confused about what era of Hip Hop he comes from. His style of rapping is calm and laid back, and mainly focuses on lyricism which was important in the Hip Hop music of the 90’s that so heavily influenced him. He’ll tell you, “I try to live up to the wordplay of the past emcees that have graced the stage of Hip Hop”.

When someone books me for an event, they expect to see the energy that follows. And each and every time that is what I give them. It’s a sense of bringing back that feeling you had seeing the legends grace the stage in the past being reincarnated in this generation’s light. Hip Hop music is my direction, but I actually listen to more EDM and R$B in my spare time. Being so tall, many assume that my stage presence will take a hit, but I always shock the crowd leaving an impression in their hearts because they didn’t see it coming. I’m most proud of my attitude in this industry, it is a tough career to follow. There are more let-downs than build-ups, but at the end of the day, only the strong survive. All I can do is stay positive and continue to grow.

When I create my music there isn’t much of a process, it’s just a feeling at that time. I can hear a beat and go off instantly if it appeals to my current set of feelings. Then there are days when nothing comes to mind and I cant create. I just love art all around. so I find inspiration from many different things that I see and hear. As a graphic designer in my daily life, it helps me see things that many can’t see without instruction. Thus bringing each idea much clearer. I have even used these talents to broaden my reach of creativity by writing screenplays, 3 children’s books, developing a board game, and even an autobiography of my own life, which are being sold on Amazon today.

To sum things up, I just love to create and have a lot of fun doing it. Making things for you all to enjoy and sending feedback gives me the fuel to keep going. To entertain the masses in more ways than one makes my life complete. We all need that feeling of excitement to deal with daily life situations, and I want to be a part of that solutions as much as possible.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest thing that I had to unlearn is that what might be good for you doesn’t mean it will be good for me. Many people want to give you a foundation or starting point on how they were able to become who they are today. However, these same steps may not work for everyone. The one thing that separates every artist is their story. How they become who they are. Once you realize what is good for yourself, then you can finally begin to develop the core values to build your career. I say if anything, take small portions from everyone and use that to mold your own journey.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Entertain and establish a connection. With my art, I try to catch the eye instantly, the same as for my music and performances. In today’s society, you only have a few seconds to keep someones attention. So to be able to keep my fans and followers longing for more makes everything worth it. It’s not even about the money in most cases. The connection between artist and follower means so much more. Knowing what I made could change the course of someone’s day or attitude means so much to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/yaboybigstove
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaboybigstove
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yaboybigstove
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yaboybigstove
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWgaH3aBuAwvBqJ4PVqrM1g