Hidden Gems: Meet Paris Stephan Wallace of Ear Candy Podcast

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paris Stephan Wallace.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Paris Stephan. I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. I can’t exactly pinpoint when I fell in love with music. It’s like trying to remember when I started breathing. I’ve always been around music, raised by 2 parents who were musicians both inside and outside of church. Music is in my blood, my DNA, the very fibers of who I am as a person. My first introduction to hip-hop music was based around the church. I was never “allowed” to listen to secular rap music as a kid. Instead, I was handed an alternative with a group called The Cross Movement. Imagine if Wu-Tang Clan all rapped about The Bible and their love for Jesus. It was very captivating and life-changing for me. Their music gave birth to Lecrae and many many others. Another strong catalyst of my love for music has always been video games. I vividly remember the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 soundtrack amazing me as a young child. That, along with the NBA Live 2003 soundtrack and the music from NBA Street Vol. 2, laid the foundation of what music I would continue to love for the rest of my life. As a child I always wrote music for fun, even wrote and performed some original songs at the Sunday services at my church occasionally. My first time ever performing for any type of crowd was at my church. But eventually, it would transform into me becoming a full-time artist. My first performance as a “legit” rapper was in November of 2018, to a crowd of 3 people (No, that’s not a typo 😂). I continued to work on my craft, improve my art, and become a better version of myself. Now I’ve done more shows, festivals, and performances than I can count. I’m beyond blessed to even be at this point in the game.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Nothing worth having comes easy, so I look at my obstacles as stepping stones and opportunities to prove that I really want what I say I want. It’s exactly like a video game. If you’re not running into enemies or obstacles, then you’re going the wrong way! I struggle daily with all kinds of things. Writer’s block, self doubt, mental health struggles… it’s all part of the human experience that even people who AREN’T music artists struggle with. My momentum as an artist was derailed by Covid. After I started to book shows more consistently in 2019, late 2020 and pretty much half of 2021 was the COMPLETE opposite of what I needed. I feel like even in 2026 I’m still clawing my way out of that hole we were all forced into.

As you know, we’re big fans of Ear Candy Podcast . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In October of 2024, I created a mixtape/EP called “Ear Candy Vol. 1” with a close friend and amazing artist/producer by the name of
Krypto. Divine. We took that title and expanded on it to create our brand, which eventually led to the creation of a podcast with the same name in July of 2025. Our main focus and intention with creating each episode is to highlight what we LOVE about music (both mainstream and underground) as opposed to many other podcasts that just focus on negativity, drama, and hot takes. What sets us apart is our lived experiences as artists. We’re not just people with microphones “talking the talk” … I humbly say that we are both award-winning musicians who are “walking the walk” as well. Anyone interested in sharing the joy of music and the conversations surrounding it can find us on YouTube and all social media platforms @EarCandy330!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Well the biggest shift happening before our eyes is the evolution of AI. I’m on the fence and try to see things objectively from both sides. On one hand, AI is literally destroying and poisoning communities, and making it harder to distinguish real from fake. On the other hand, it makes certain tasks easier to complete in a timely fashion. My ultimate opinion is that if we HAVE to incorporate AI into our everyday lives (which is a big IF), it should be used for automation, not replication. What I mean by that is, it should never replace human emotion, creativity, or imagination. Use AI to power a machine to build a railroad track, solidify the foundation of a bridge, or develop a cure to a horrible disease… not to write a symphony, create a painting, or sing a song. Hopefully AI is just another trend and its interest will die down as the costs associated with it continue to increase.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisstephan330?igsh=MXFuNnR6aXc2YW9jNw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BBh3o8ePw/
• Twitter: https://x.com/parisstephan330
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@earcandy330?si=f3ZMynjyZf8dtjkC
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/4NL7dJ6BpyRRnRvePR
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Hal8KQcmE02EScHU37sFF?si=Vt_y70ITQ-CuKW_fluwBLQ