R&B crooner Young Steff is definitely a believer.
And the 21-year-old takes pride in making sure others feel
just the same way.
Case in point. After carefully shopping his demo around, Steff's music
landed in the hands of hit-making producer Rich Harrison. Having only
heard of Harrison through his work with Beyonce ("Crazy In Love") and
Amerie ("1 Thing"), Steff didn't know what to expect from him.
Likewise, for Harrison, who only knew of Steff as a stout, teen singer
from the early 2000s.
But when Steff met with Harrison for an impromptu audition, dancers in tow, things quickly changed.
"Unfortunately, talent isn't always a pre-requisite for a superstar, and vice versa but Steff is that rare combination of both a shining stage presence and powerful personality, together with a truly, truly unique voice. This alone already makes him competitive on a world-class level, and he's only 17!
He's something the world has never quite seen before" states Harrision of Steff.
The New Jersey native thrilled Harrison with his syrupy voice and energetic show, having become a seasoned performer by singing at high schools, talent shows, and on the road with his father, who had been part of a gospel singing troop. The multi-platinum then producer promptly offered to sign Steff to his burgeoning Richcraft Inc. label through Atlantic Records. Steff immediately obliged.
"I wanted someone I could be personal with, says Steff of his decision to join Harrison. Because the more personal the producer and the record company are, the better the records. And I wanted to be special this time, so it could be a sure thing. Because I know what I have and I wanted them to know that, too.
The dynamic young performer first got his start crooning alongside
his father as an eight-year-old imitator.
"He'd tell me to hit a note, and I'd do it," recalls Steff, laughing
at the memories. Quickly, Steff took to writing his own songs
and performed one for is father, who was floored at his son's talent.
From there, his father began preparing the young prodigy for a career
in music.
By 11, Steff was hard at work on his first demo, which eventually
spawned "Can I Holla," featuring Bow Wow and was featured on the Like
Mike soundtrack.
The father-and-son produced track caught the attention of a prominent
Philadelphia music insider who passed Steff's demo along to Jay-Z and
Damon Dash of Roc-A-Fella Records. Within a week, Steff was on his way
to New York to audition for the duo.
Although Steff eventually signed with the Roc, the experience was
short lived. Given the chance to either stay with Dash as he launched
a new music venture, or become a free agent, Steff chose the latter.
"Me and my pops were like, 'We're good'," remembers Steff. "So, we
went back to the drawing board."
Steff returned to his hometown of Vineland, New Jersey and began recording new material. Along the way Steff, a once short, pudgier young Michael Jackson look-a-like grew into a young man. Fortunately, his voice and upbeat personality - remained in tact.
On "Thang,Thang," from his steamy, forthcoming debut, Young Steff flexes those elastic vocals over Scott Storch's pulsating club track. In a searing
falsetto, Steff sings of eyeing a cutie: "Your twerk is so crazy," he
croons. "Got me so dizzybrings out the freak in me." He more than
holds his own alongside a featured rapper, who caps the track with a
furious battle rap.
"I'm Feeling," with its cascading piano-tinged production, finds Steff
singing and spitting fly love raps to his girl.
But its on 'Hallway," where Young Steff shows that he's all grown up
now. "I was just having fun with that," he sheepishly admits of the
steamy ballad. "It's just about wanting to see a shorty, that's all."
Having been influenced by his fathers group, Spirit, Steff has a solid foundation most artists his age only hope to achieve. He cites another gospel artist, J Moss, as a major inspiration.
I look up to him as a vocalist, says Steff. Because at the end of the day, as a young artist, I could do a thousand riffs and it wont mean anything. But if a person can growl at you and touch your heart, and say one word to make you feel it, then thats when I know Im doing my job. And thats my whole goal, to make this thing personal between me and my fans. From my heart to another persons heart.
Though things haven't always been easy for Steff, from his first failed record deal to his upbringing in New Jersey ("Where I'm from, nobody is prospering," explains Steff), he's always remained optimisticwhether it's been about career or lifeand hes ready to share that with the world.
"God puts a special gift in everyone, you know?" says Steff, mulling the idea
around his head before finally finishing. "You just got to find out what it
isand then utilize it."
Young Steff is a believer. Are you?
All I Got
Young Steff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playing on the radio
When it comes on I see your face, yeah
Like I'm watching her on video
And in my heart she owns a space
That no one else can replace
No matter how far (far)
I wanna be where you are
She won't turn around and use you and leave a brotha out to dry
She won't ever make excuses
That's why we see eye to eye
I love her cause she's focused
And loves me how she's supposed
What we share between us
She's all I got
Mmmm, she is all I got
Uhhh woaah
Shheee eee is alll I got
Yeaahh
She's all I got
When I'm feeling all alone I call her phone, to help me with the problems
You can't tell me she ain't an angel cause she knows how to solve them
And I gotta let u know that I'm proud you and there ain't no distance
Between us two
I know that god placed me here next to you (oohh)
Ohhh mmm
She's all I've got
Woaah ohhh ohh all I got
All I got
Yeah all I got
Type the love u don't need security for the perfect complication
She always gives me love, I don't ever have to ask for
She knows the spot
Ashamed I'm not
To say a few things about you
Your love is powerful
And it changed my live
And I owe it to you
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's everything
She's all I got
She's my world
She's all I got
She's all I got
I don't have nothing if I don't have her
She oohhh ohhh all I got
Lalala lala mmm
Nooo noo ohhh ohhh
Nooo oohhh woaahh
She's all I gottt...
In Young Steff's song All I Got, the lyrics talk about a woman who is the center of the singer's world. She is like a melody to his favorite song, reminding him of her whenever it plays. Although she owns a special place in his heart that nobody can replace, she won't turn around and use him. He calls her phone whenever he feels lonely and needs help, and she always helps him out, proving that she is an angel. He is proud of her, and there is no distance between them. She is everything to him, and he owes his changed life to her.
The lyrics of this song describe the kind of love that is pure and faithful. The singer is deeply in love with his partner, and he is not afraid to show it. He trusts her completely and believes that she is the only one who truly understands him. The way he expresses his admiration for her shows how much she means to him. The song is tender and heartfelt, and it leaves a lasting impression on the listener.
Overall, the message that the song conveys is that true love is all about trust and respect. It is about finding someone who makes your life complete and who is always there for you through thick and thin. It is a beautiful sentiment that resonates with many people, both young and old.
Line by Line Meaning
She's like a melody of my favorite song
Playing on the radio
When it comes on I see your face, yeah
Like I'm watching her on video
And in my heart she owns a space
That no one else can replace
No matter how far (far)
I wanna be where you are
She is his favorite and reminds him of his love every time he hears his favorite song, and has a special place in his heart that no one else can replace. He will always want to be with her no matter how far she is.
She won't turn around and use you and leave a brotha out to dry
She won't ever make excuses
That's why we see eye to eye
I love her cause she's focused
And loves me how she's supposed
What we share between us
She is not someone who will use and leave him, and they share a deep connection because of their honesty and love for each other. She knows what is important to him and supports him with her focus and love.
She's all I got
Mmmm, she is all I got
Uhhh woaah
Shheee eee is alll I got
Yeaahh
She's all I got
She is everything to him and he has nobody else but her, and he emphasizes this fact in different ways as a recurring theme throughout the song.
When I'm feeling all alone I call her phone, to help me with the problems
You can't tell me she ain't an angel cause she knows how to solve them
And I gotta let u know that I'm proud you and there ain't no distance
Between us two
I know that god placed me here next to you (oohh)
When he feels lonely and needs help, she is always there to support him and he truly thinks of her as an angel who also helps him solve his problems. He is proud of her and believes that God brought them together and that they are never far from each other.
Type the love u don't need security for the perfect complication
She always gives me love, I don't ever have to ask for
She knows the spot
Ashamed I'm not
To say a few things about you
Your love is powerful
And it changed my live
And I owe it to you
Their love is perfect and genuine, and he doesn't need to worry about insecurity because she always gives him love without needing to ask. He appreciates her love deeply and is not ashamed to express it. Her love has changed his life and he is forever grateful to her.
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's all I got
She's everything
She's all I got
She's my world
She's all I got
She's all I got
I don't have nothing if I don't have her
She oohhh ohhh all I got
Lalala lala mmm
Nooo noo ohhh ohhh
Nooo oohhh woaahh
She's all I gottt...
He repeats that she is his everything and his world, and he has nothing without her. He truly believes that she is all he has and he repeats it in various ways throughout the song.
Contributed by Allison O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.