Stoneface is a Memphis-based rap and lo-fi hip-hop artist known for blending raw honesty with inventive storytelling. At 26, he’s building a name through self-produced tracks that channel heartbreak, resilience, and self-reflection. His debut single, “The Way,” introduced his thoughtful, poetic style, while the follow-up “Stoneface” shows a more playful, confident side. With his upcoming project, Oh Well, on the horizon, Stoneface is steadily growing a grassroots following, proving his vision and voice stand out in today’s hip-hop landscape.
With “Stoneface” out now, we took some time to hear from Stoneface. Read below to learn more about Stoneface, the story behind “Stoneface,” and what’s to come.
Hi Stoneface! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Hi! My name is Stoneface because since I was a child, I’ve always had a hard time controlling my facial expressions. It’s caused a lot of misunderstandings in my life and relationships, and over time I’ve adapted. People used to call me ‘Stonefaced’ and eventually I adopted it as part of my identity, and consequently my moniker.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m born and raised from Memphis, Tennessee, where I still live to this day. I love my city.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I’ve always loved music and used it as a coping mechanism to deal with trauma. As the trauma got worse, I needed something stronger, thus came writing and performing it. I started when I ran away from home 10 years ago because I didn’t know what else to do.
What’s the lowest point in your life that you attribute music to saving you from?
There was a point in my life, actually during the COVID lockdown, where things had gotten out of hand, and I found myself with few options and a pretty bad drug addiction. The one I ended up choosing was to detox on my couch alone. All I had for the first week was music and my dog curled up next to me as I suffered. Things got better after that, they always do. Then worse then better again. Music has always made the pain a little easier to bear.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
My music is as varied as my musical taste. I sing, I rap, and I don’t censor myself for anything. I make music as therapy for myself, it is pure coincidence that anyone else would care about it at all. Lyricism is my main strength, I don’t do a lot of throw away lines.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Outside of music, I work out, watch football or movies or whatever. I like to do karaoke, although I guess that’s music adjacent. Mini golf and laser tag are always the way to my heart.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Mac Miller is my #1 musical influence. I listen to a lot of music though. If we’re going strictly rap, probably Mac, Kevin Gates, Kendrick Lamar, Token, and Lil Wayne.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
The year that I graduated high school, my brother and I had a show in the old HiTone building that was pretty much shoulder to shoulder. I was under a different name at the time, and it was a long time ago, but I still think sometimes I should’ve crowd surfed.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
You have to matter before people care about you or your music. If other people aren’t going to take you seriously, you have to take yourself seriously. You have to know and believe that the art is good enough to supersede their doubts. Then, you can lose everything and still keep marching forward.
Now onto your release, ‘Stoneface.’ What inspired this song? What is ‘Stoneface’ about?
Honestly, I have been working really hard on a lot of more sort of artful music and it got really tiresome after a while. Sometimes I just have to let loose and spit some bars.
What led to your decision to self-title the single?
Well, I ended up saying my name a lot in the song for one, and it is a pretty recent name change. I guess part of it was also that I wanted it as proof going forward that I can rap before people see me do all this other stuff and try to put me in a box. You can call me a rapper, but I do a lot more than that.
What was the creative process like when making ‘Stoneface?’
Sometimes it just comes to me and this was one of those times.
How long did it take to complete ‘Stoneface?’
20 minutes of furious typing in my notes app. 10 minutes recording. Had the song done in an hour and a half total.
What is your favorite lyric in ‘Stoneface’ and why?
‘I’m the best it never
Really was a metaphor
I drop the Flo
And scrape it back up off the flo
The janitor’
I think I’m clever.
What message or messages do you hope fans take away from ‘Stoneface’ and your music in general?
Well, those are two pretty different questions. ‘Stoneface’ is supposed to be fun. If it’s not, then you may not like me, it’s kind of a litmus test. My music as a whole is more geared towards the human experience and how we’re all so intrinsically alone in our own minds and bodies. This is why we need to come together and understand that our differences don’t matter.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I have an album coming out on September 19th called Oh Well. This project has been mostly completed since before I even wrote the two songs that have already come out. The singles were crimes of passion, but this one was a long process. I get very personal on this album and you get to see a more accurate range of my sound. If you like what you’ve heard so far, there is so much more to come.
Where can we follow you on social media?
I am @stonefaceglock everywhere.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonefaceglock
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stonefaceglock
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@stonefaceglock
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
