Anthony Grant aka GrimStepper is not your average joe. The New York-bred, now Santa Monica-based STORM LA model and musician has his gears set on becoming the next multifaceted megastar of the new generation. With his interests ranging from cryptocurrency to anime to world travel, the supernova that is GrimStepper gets captured through the lens of photographer Damon Baker and fashion director Nicola Formichetti, as he speaks with VMAN about his motivations in life and how he uses music as an outlet to uncover a deeper purpose.

VMAN: For our readers who might not know you (yet!), how would you introduce yourself and what you do? 

GrimStepper: Hi VMAN! My name is GrimStepper and I’m about to be the biggest multimedia rockstar of my generation. I’m getting ready to take over the world by storm through the mediums of fashion, music, and film. My management [team] has me involved in cryptocurrency & a variety of businesses across [various] industries, giving me the freedom to focus on my deepest passions.  I’ve been blessed with real experiences [that] I can draw inspiration [from] for my music that I know people will feel.

VM: Tell me GrimStepper, where are you from?

GS: [I was] born & raised in New York—Syracuse to be exact. I currently live in Santa Monica, California, right by my recording studio.  

VM: What was GrimStepper like as a kid?

GS: Trouble haha. I’ve always been a misfit because I fight for what’s right and what I believe in, to the end.

VM: What is your personal relationship with fashion? 

GS: I have an intimate love affair with fashion—I use clothes to express myself and looking right is a vital part of any man’s swag.

VM: Aside from modeling, what’s something that you’re passionate about?

GS: Music is one of my biggest passions now. It was something that has always helped me get through so many situations and problems in my own life, [so] I want to be a vessel to help kids understand and deal with their emotions responsibly.

VM: What inspires you in life?

GS: Life itself—my mind and heart has brought me off [of] sleeping on the floor and looking for anyone to produce or record me, to living in a townhouse with a studio five minutes away from my production and management teams state of the art facility, with engineers and producers who’ve worked with Kanye West, Rihanna, and Jay-Z. Basically, my point is that anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to if you believe and work hard. 

VM: What’s something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?

GS: I deeply love anime! Man, I’ve always been into it since I was young and I look forward to incorporating it into my music through an artistic lens one day.

VM: How did the onset of the global pandemic change your outlook on life and/or work?

GS: I think it was a humanizing and humbling moment for everyone. It reminds everyone of their mortality and I think it has made everyone value their families, friends, contacts, and peers a lot more. I saw it as an opportunity to organize and develop my goals.

VM: What’s the first thing you’re going to do after coming out of quarantine?

GS: World tour—I wanna see Tokyo, St Barts, Monaco, St. Moritz, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam,  and more places! 

VM: Where do you see yourself going in the next 5 years? What do you hope to accomplish?

GS: Platinum Records, magazines, runways, films, campaigns, & making the world a better place than it was when I got here—one lost soul at a time. I give all praise to God for my success and know I am blessed to have the opportunity to become someone who can help others.