Stephen Gawking is the brainchild of Ijay Swanepoel (pictured). He discovered that he didn’t only exhibit a passion for wordplay and lyricism, but also uncovered his dormant talent as a lyricist. Challenged by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (see definition), he added his own, personal spin to the project. These attributes would eventually become the building blocks for Stephen Gawking—The Nuclear Lyricist.

 “There are so many people and things that are causing division in this world. I want Stephen Gawking to be the opposite of that, and bring people of all cultures, backgrounds, and more, together. A symbol of hope and inspiration to those who are disabled, different, oppressed, bullied, and everyone in between.”

Definition: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a group of neuromuscular disorders that result in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. The severity of symptoms and age of onset varies by the type.