Big Steve

There are two rappers who use the name, they are listed in order of prominence. 1) Hiram Clarke (better known as Big Steve) is a Houston born rapper. A founding member of the SCREWED UP CLICK, Big Steve was known amongst the click as DJ Screw's right-hand man. He was also an original member of the group Woss Ness; comprised of four members: Big Steve, Rasir X, Mista Luv and Devious. In 1997, the group released their debut album, ?Da Game Done Changed.

1) Hiram Clarke (better known as Big Steve) is a Houston born rapper. A founding member of the SCREWED UP CLICK, Big Steve was known amongst the click as DJ Screw's right-hand man. He was also an original member of the group Woss Ness; comprised of four members: Big Steve, Rasir X, Mista Luv and Devious. In 1997, the group released their debut album, ?Da Game Done Changed.? It became a hit in the ?Screwston? scene, and gave Big Steve the validity he needed to become a staple in the underground Houston rap scene for decades to come.

With the success of DJ Screw's mixtapes, and the debut album from Woss Ness, Big Steve launched his solo career in 1999, with the album ?My Testimony.? The record was a true showcase of Big Steve's talents as an artist and the record made waves in the ?Screwston? scene. Fans loved the focused and rhythmically driven lyrics Big Steve had perfected, along with his trademark gangster attitude. The huge selection of featured artists also contributed to the albums success; everyone from Fat Pat, Big Mello and Celia Ward, to the Woss Ness click, guest starred on several tracks, making the record a ?must-have' for loyal and dedicated ?Screwston? fans.

Riding on the wave of his first solo album, Big Steve decided to release ?Back to Back Hits,? a screwed and chopped version of his original album, in November of 2000, on Woss Ness Records. Guest performances on this release, mirrored that of the original album, and included Double D, Big Pokey, Joe D, Big E, mafio, Big B and Mike D.

Big Steve was gaining new fans everyday, and it looked like he was on his way to blowing up past the Houston border, and into the mainstream arena. Unfortunately, months before the release of ?Back to Back Hits,? Hiram Clarke was murdered. Unofficial reports state that Mr. Clarke, a.k.a ?Big Steve,? was killed by known associates. However, there are other speculative reports which claim his death to be a suicide. With the little information available, the public may never know the true nature of his passing. Tragic events aside, his music will continue to live on for years to come, not only throughout the ?Screwston? scene, but in hand-me-down bootleg cassettes tapes you might just find, in a vintage record store near you.

2) Big Steve is a rapper from Baltimore, MD who currently runs Body More Recordz. He has released a number of independent mixtapes and is currently working on a new studio album.