The history of Rodney Stepp’s legendary Naptown fund band Rapture – Part 2 

August 17, 2025

Listen to the final episode in our two-part series exploring the music of Rapture, a legendary Indianapolis funk band led by keyboardist Rodney Stepp. During the late 1970s, Rapture was a dominating force in the Indianapolis club scene. A new compilation of Rapture’s music was recently issued by Now Again Records in California. The album features previously unreleased music Rapture recorded in 1977. 

Hear interviews with Rapture’s Rodney Stepp, Lonnie Williams and Greg Russell. The Indianapolis soul music legend Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds will also share his memories of Rapture. Edmonds’ band Manchild was one of Rapture’s biggest rivals. 

Rodney Stepp was born in Indianapolis in 1952. He was raised in the historic Flanner House Homes neighborhood, directly adjacent to Indiana Avenue. Stepp rose to prominence in the Naptown music scene as a teenager, during the 1960s. His high school band the Diplomats performed with major R&B stars and scored a local hit with the song “Hum-Bug”, issued by Lamp Records in 1969. Stepp’s follow-up recording “Young Girl” was issued in 1970 under the name Jazzie Cazzie and the Eight Sounds. During the early 1970s, Stepp toured the world as a keyboardist and assistant music director for The Spinners. Stepp eventually grew tired of working as a sideman with The Spinners. Yearning to explore his own musical concepts, he returned to Indianapolis in the late 1970s to form Rapture.