As the music industry grows and young rappers emerge every day, standing out from the crowd. But Salt Lake City native and Salt Lake Community College student Steven Guzman is doing all he can to rise to fame.
Guzman, who uses the stage name Santo, first discovered his love for music when he went to the Boys and Girls Club a few years back. He was able to record and produce a couple of his own CDs.
He “wanted to be out there, just kind of to create art, create music, and have fun.”
No one else in Guzman’s family was a musician, so he listened to hip-hop and looked up to artists like 50 Cent for inspiration.
Guzman always thought that rapping was “fun and cool to do.”
Guzman went to an after school music program called Spy Hop while in high school, where he learned about sound engineering and video editing. By the age of fifteen, he had publicly released CDs and has since released two more mix tapes and one album.
What makes Guzman unique from other rappers is his style.
He says he is “a hip-hop rapper with a blend of Spanish music called Cumbia.” This is a different sound then what you would normally hear within the hip-hop genre.
Music is just one part of Guzman’s busy life.
As a communication major at SLCC, he has to balance lectures and homework with interviews, productions and promotions — but he manages to stay on top of it all.
Guzman says that the skills he gained from marketing, social media and other communication classes have contributed to his music success. For example, he says the skills he learned in his Photoshop class helped him create a banner for his Facebook page.
SLCC is helping Guzman live his dreams.
When it comes to schooling and music, he says “giving time for both” is important.
His latest single has already been played on local TV and public radio. “Bien Buena” is available for download on SoundCloud.
Having a successful music career requires dedication, but Guzman makes sure school remains a priority.
He encourages all students to “learn as much as you can at a college like SLCC and apply it to your dreams and start doing it.”
