StephNsancE Embrace Perseverance and Creative Ambition on Cinematic Hip-Hop Release “Risk All"

New York-based production duo StephNsancE is exploring perseverance, self-belief, and the courage to pursue ambitious goals with their release, “Risk All,” featuring frequent collaborator and vocalist Adrian Javon.

Combining their foundations in hip-hop and R&B with a distinctly cinematic approach to composition, Gregory “Sance” Taylor and Stephaun Pender deliver a motivational statement informed by their experiences as multidisciplinary artists.

At its core, “Risk All” examines the tension between appreciating one’s present circumstances and recognizing the potential for something greater. Rather than presenting ambition as an uncomplicated pursuit, StephNsancE acknowledges the uncertainty that comes with taking chances, particularly in a world where stability and opportunity can feel increasingly hard to reconcile.

The song’s central philosophy encourages listeners to make meaningful use of their existing resources while refusing to abandon larger aspirations. It’s a compelling perspective because it recognizes that perseverance requires more than optimism. Genuine progress often involves uncomfortable decisions, calculated risks, and the willingness to keep going without guaranteed results.

Adrian Javon’s contribution to the hook reinforces the project's collaborative foundation, reflecting StephNsancE’s longstanding interest in bringing different creative perspectives together.

Originally connecting at Savannah College of Art and Design, the duo have spent more than a decade developing work across music production, animation, visual design, and film. Their professional experience includes projects for Netflix, The New York Times, and Heineken, along with a growing interest in cinematic trailer music.

That multidisciplinary background provides important context for “Risk All,” positioning the release within a broader artistic philosophy that treats music as another form of storytelling. With an original score for the upcoming horror short film SELF TAPE also in development, StephNsancE continues demonstrating that creative ambition rarely needs to remain confined to a single discipline.

“Risk All” explores the idea of betting on yourself despite uncertainty and challenging circumstances. Was there a particular experience in either of your lives that inspired this message, and how does it reflect where you are creatively today?

I think for a long time we were chasing trends to a certain extent, sonically. As we aged up, there was more of an intentional pivot on both our parts to lean more into our own path and musical strong points. The irony of honing in on what makes our sonics unique became the empowering driver that guided us closer to our creative goal.

We both experienced loss and grief with several loved ones passing in close succession in the years around the pandemic. This placed greater urgency on both our parts to be more aggressive with running towards our artistic destination, rather than from it. The value of time and life decisions within it further served as greater clarity that it was a moment to "Risk All" cards on the table, and put more of a targeted investment, fiscally and creatively.

You originally connected at Savannah College of Art and Design and have now spent more than a decade collaborating across different creative disciplines. How has your working relationship evolved, and what strengths does each of you bring to the production process?

We evolved from mere acquaintances in the first years at SCAD to spiritual collaborators and eventually brothers who've been present in each other's pivotal life moments. I (Sance) bring wide swings and the ever-present pulse of what's modern today in the competitive music landscape, and Steph brings a refined ear for detail and musicality. Steph sees my minute blind spots in the beat, the so-called aural gaps in my initial grand pass, and he zooms in on them like a DSLR camera lens. He's a better musician than I am on the keys, and we do a ping-pong of iteration until the final product is ready.

Also, I have all the analog gear in the world, yet Steph can remain solely ITB (in-the-box), and maximize the digital tools in a way that compliments every stem you throw at him. (Steph) It must be said that Sance is a true audiophile, through and through. As long as I’ve known him, he’s always strived for excellence, not only in his artistic and lyrical expression but sonically and technically. I have the utmost appreciation for his obsession. 

Your background includes hip-hop, R&B, animation, film scoring, and cinematic trailer music. How do those different disciplines influence your approach to producing a record like “Risk All,” particularly when it comes to creating atmosphere and telling a story through sound?

Working on film scoring and cinematic trailer music over the years has taught us how to see every song as a "three-act" structural foundation. Animation and graphics, whether that's with brushes, Photoshop layers, DAW mixing, crescendo-building, or 3-D character keyframing squash-and-stretch by hand. It's imbued within us, a sense of using the ever-important element of what we call "dynamic contrast".

A sound is not wide if there are no mono elements. A gray paint stroke does not stand out if there is no black or white next to it. A triplet hi-hat becomes brighter only when there is a lower frequency sound such as a Hz-heavy kick or bass. A quiet passage during a song bridge usually needs a louder chorus section to stand out. We understand this methodology and utilize it every time we create.

(Steph) Furthermore, we’ve come to see life as similar to the two schools of thought when approaching animation.  You’ve got “Pose-to-Pose," which is basically exactly what it sounds like:  where an animator sets the stage with all the main action core silhouettes that the character is going to hit throughout the story and/or the scene.  It’s premeditated. Then you have “Straight ahead,” which is more so frame by frame, moment to moment. 

It’s more spontaneous. Each approach has its pros and cons; for example, while the former may lead to your characters having strong poses with the timing you desire, oftentimes, the overall look of your work will come out too mechanical. “Straight ahead” gives your work a more organic look and feel to the movement, but you could potentially end up ‘painting yourself into a corner’ because you didn’t plan it out. 

You get the best results by combining the two.  You know where you wanna begin and end with your foundational poses, but you freestyle the in-betweens. That’s all improvisation.  It’s like jazz.  That’s how Sance and I approach our music.  In many ways, it’s truly how I’ve come to live my life.    

You've contributed creative work to projects involving Netflix, The New York Times, and Heineken. What have those professional experiences taught you about balancing commercial expectations with your own artistic identity, and how have those lessons influenced your independent releases?

Well, for one, turnaround time is frequently very short for these release placements. You learn to refine the speed at which you can become a vessel for your creative endeavors, while omitting anything that slows you down. Getting the idea and sonic objective down as quickly and efficiently as possible, in a way that's true to the brief, becomes of utmost importance. Steve Jobs called it the "signal-to-noise" ratio.

Anything that is not signal (the objective) is just noise that must be avoided to preserve the intended goal as effectively as one intends.

You're currently completing the score for the upcoming horror short film SELF TAPE, scheduled for release in early 2027. What excites you most about composing for horror, and how does that process differ from creating your own hip-hop and R&B records?

Horror is a fun challenge for us and one in which we get to spread our wings a bit, with an especially satisfying journey when it comes to the sound design aspect. We all know that sound is at least fifty percent of the viewer/listener experience.

The traditional song structure gives way to an ever-expansive metamorphosis of "beat-timings" that has to match the onscreen action. One of the most common differentiators in horror work is on the DAW backend, where we are automating the tempo to whatever is occurring on screen.

Hans Zimmer made a great point when he stated in an article that every score he works on is really a musical question and an answer. A call-and-response of dynamics, almost, and one that has to fit together a multitude of disparate puzzle pieces. We welcome that with great pleasure.