Rising Up: The Story of Chester Berks
Steve Kopanski claims to be a thousand different people through the course of everyday life. One of those personalities that has been cultivated through the years is his rapping persona, Chester Berks.
"I grew up around Chester county, and then moved to Berks county," he said when asked about how he created the name. He went through several different aliases before finally getting to Chester Berks. Through the years, Kopanski has crafted his rapping persona to bring out a down to earth message about staying real to yourself. By rapping under a different name, it allows him to approach his material with a fresh perspective that he's gained over the years.
Many of the trials and tribulations that anyone could have growing up is the reason for Kopanski's rapping personality. He uses his anxious thoughts to craft the music, and uses it to alleviate any of those feelings of uncertainty that everyone goes through. To best describe it,
"It's my catharsis," he said.
By writing about some of his experiences, he suddenly realized that his music was not just relatable to him, but to others as well. After getting feedback from several of his close friends, he started realizing that his experiences and his music was relatable not just to him, but to others, and this is what Kopanski values most when it comes to his rapping career.
Kopanski says he is happy with where his career is and is going. He values the message of "being real to one's self" and feels he doesn't need the fame and the glory that can come with such a lucrative career. His main goal has been to spread the message, as he's started opening up this side of him to more people, and beginning to play live shows. It's a hobby for him that he constantly tries to craft and understand as he goes along.
Kopanski says that as long as the message remains the same, there will always be a place for Chester Berks.
