Driven: Plans For HU Student and 'Jericho' Actor

Many students come to Howard to gain an education while also pursuing other interests. For some, it is difficult to balance academics with outside career opportunities. For Stephen Redhead, it comes naturally.

Redhead, a senior political science major, is a rapper, actor and full time student. He is currently working with Songbook Entertainment, playing a role on the CBS series “Jericho,” and preparing to graduate this May. However, Redhead has no problems staying focused and has no plans to slow down after graduation.

“After I graduate, I’m going to either work on Capitol Hill or for Hot 97 in New York. My goal is to solidify the foundation for a decent living,” Redhead said.

Along with becoming financially secure, Redhead plans to continue his career in music.

“As far as the music is concerned, my goal is to get respect. I’ve dealt with labels before and I don’t want to  mess with that again. This is just for fun right now, but anything is a possibility,” Redhead said.

Raised in the District by parents from Jamaica and Grenada, Redhead was exposed to a wide variety of music at a young age.

“My family is Caribbean, so I heard a lot of reggae and soca growing up. And of course, I’m from here, so I heard a lot of go-go,” Redhead said.

Thanks to his diverse influences, which currently include Nas and Raphael Saadiq, Redhead is able to make unique music that reflects his own real life experiences.

“I’m a reality check artist. I talk about the things that no one else is talking about, like real life experiences and politics. For example, I just wrote a song about Shaquanda Cotton. And if there’s a topic that somebody already used, but I feel that it can be expanded on, I’ll do that too,” Redhead said.

As an up and coming hip-hop artist, Redhead said there are many barriers and stereotypes for him to overcome. Changing people’s negative views of the genre has become his motivation.

“There’s a lot of wackness out there. Because of that, there’s a stigma that people who rap are not actual musicians and don’t put any thought into what they say,” he said.

In response to this, Redhead’s objective has become proving the critics wrong. His music is a testament to the fact that there are still rappers who stay true to the art form.

“I want to be different. Young black males in the hip-hop industry typically have to speak about things that are detrimental to the community in order to get attention. I come from a neighborhood where there was violence, but I don’t glorify it. I might use it as an example, but I don’t condone it or justify it by insinuating that I’m involved,” he said.

Recognizing that rappers often become role models, Redhead, through his music and his own life, leads by example.

“I want my records to reflect that I’m an educated college student. I show my intelligence to prove a point, not to seem pretentious. I’m trying to provide an alternative to what is constantly in the media and demonstrate that I put thought into everything I do,” he added.

A master at managing time, Redhead is not having any trouble balancing schoolwork with his career. While enjoying his rising notoriety on and off campus, he is still focusing on graduation and preparing to enter the real world.

“My education is most important right now. I have time to be an artist, because everything seems to fall into place,” he said. 
“School comes first, and everything else I do, I do it at my own pace.”