Collaboration is key for STC Dano

STC Dano, also known as Daniel Novikov, is one of USC’s upcoming talents looking to entertain the masses with their tunes. Ignoring social standards and forging new paths has been a through line in the discography of the Trojan rapper. 

The sophomore music industry major has been making music for as long as he can remember. It’s followed him throughout his life as he’s traveled around the world, living in Panama, Russia and Atlanta but always calling Los Angeles his home. With influences ranging from The Temptations to Wizkid to XXXTentacion to his parents’ homeland Eastern European music, a career in music has always been in his mind and it’s what he’s passionate about.

While his career is still in its infancy, STC Dano has some feats that are nothing to scoff at. He was an opening act for rising Inland Empire rapper GirlzLuhDev, and having one of his tracks, “Never Fold” reached nearly 60,000 streams on Spotify.  STC Dano talked about the excitement he felt about opening for GirlzLuhDev as well as what he wanted to do with it.

“I was just like, how do I throw a dope performance? How do I do a great opening set? But also just how do I make it so that when people will come to my set, they’re like, ‘Oh shit, I actually want to check out this guy.’ So I actually want to create performances that people remember,” STC Dano said.

STC Dano said that his connection with mutual friends and artists Iz LaMarr and YVS Village are what put him in a position to open for GirlzLuhDev. Having performed at several other smaller venues around the area, STC Dano caught the eye of Iz LaMarr, an event planner for his own company, Roaring 20s, who was coordinating a lineup for his next event. Lamarr brought along STC Dano to join his event.

In a testament to STC Dano’s willingness to connect with other creatives, his producer, Mike Jones, also known as MikeFrom31st, has been one of his biggest supporters throughout his journey. The Broward, Florida. native has developed a strong relationship with STC Dano, allowing them to bond over not just their musical abilities but also their personalities. Jones expressed the importance of creating a solid partnership when working with artists as their producer.

“For me, bro, that’s everything. Like with anybody I work with. If I don’t feel a good connection, that’s more like a family or like a brother or sister or, like, genuine vibes, I don’t really want to work with you,” Jones said. “When it comes down to hanging out with you and being with you in person and locking in a studio for ten plus hours, I don’t want to be with somebody that I can’t feel like I can joke around with or go grab food with.”

MikeFrom31st and STC Dano bond is exemplary of STC Dano’s attitude of wanting to work with whoever and create artistic work. Their friendship has allowed the two to experiment on their sound and production, as their comfortability with one another leads them into different pockets of music. 

“Pertaining to Dano, every song he does is a different genre. I think, like what you hear is is what he feels like releasing that day. You know what I’m saying? Like he has hyperpop, he has trap, he has singing, he has dancehall, like he has everything,” Jones said.

STC Dano has dabbled in a variety of genres, especially in recent months, having released a jersey club inspired track, “Buss it Open,” and a dance hall track, “the way you move (suru).” However, much of his earlier work would be tied to more of an R&B and hip-hop style with a melodic style of rapping similar to that of PnB Rock and Ty Dolla $ign.

Among other artists, STC Dano said he considers XXXTentacion as an inspiration that has molded his creativity and how he wants to portray himself as an artist as well as the route he wishes to take with his music. The diversity of XXXTentacion’s catalog, from “Look At Me!” to “Jocelyn Flores,” is something that STC Dano aspires to have throughout his career and not limit himself to just one sound and one message.

STC Dano’s desire to experiment with all types of music becomes clearly evident when realizing that the STC in his stage name stands for “subject to change.” He chose this name and gave it this meaning so that people can’t place him in a box and to keep them on their toes about what’s next in his career. 

His friend Spencer Browne, a fellow sophomore music industry major, met STC Dano in a class at USC and connected there, with Browne working as STC Dano’s publicist. Browne is also an artist, who goes by the name Malcolm Mark, and was looking to get into music through multiple avenues, which is how he crossed paths with STC Dano. It was through a Public Relations class where the assignment was to work as a publicist for an artist at USC, that the two connected. 

“The main assignment [for the course] is that we got to find an artist at USC and work with them,” Browne said. “I’m asking around. I’m like, ‘Do y’all know anyone that’s like super dope, that I could work with’ and a bunch of my friends were like, ‘You got to hit up Dano.’ And so I found him, I DM’d him. I’m like, ‘Let’s work,’ and he’s like ‘Let’s lock it in.’”

When asked about STC Dano’s personality outside of the music, both Jones and Browne laughed and told of experiences of spending a good time with him while working on their craft. One thing that Browne noted, which all three found hilarious, was while STC Dano was promoting his cypher, he would do so suited in a ramen noodle soup outfit all week — which STC Dano assured he washed everyday. His entertaining demeanor has brought along many opportunities and relationships that he uses to propel himself further musically, all while having a good time. 

Whether it’s roaming around campus in a peculiar outfit or creating tracks in the studio with other artists, STC Dano is one to keep an eye out for. As he and MikeFrom31st prepare more tracks to release in the summer with Browne tagging along for the ride, STC Dano’s willingness to work with anyone, and his personality, can get him far in the industry.