The Rhyme Suite

A chat with Matthu on the importance of art and music.

For most people, it requires quite a bit of trial and error to find what they are truly passionate about, weaving in and out of hobbies and careers before finding that perfect fit.

Somehow, Matthu avoided that fate. 

“I’ve been playing the piano and singing since I was 3,” he told The Rhyme Suite. “Before I knew what music really was, I would just come home and start banging on it…eventually we got there. Music has always been my first artistic love. Music is an integral part of who I am.”

The 23-year-old R&B and pop singer would often try to recreate the chords that the jazz pianist at his childhood church would play. At the time, the notes were piercing at best, but this turned into a lifelong love for music. 

He was once the kid who was always singing and humming in class. Now, he makes music with the hope to make people feel something. 

He just dropped two singles,“Rocket” and “kiss me,” but there is much more to come. 

Matthu is originally from Richmond, VA, and he claims his hometown proudly. But as a current resident of Philadelphia, as well as a recent graduate of Temple University, he finds that the city of Brotherly Love is home.

“Philly, for me, is kind of where I birthed. I know I was born in Richmond, and it’s very much a part of my upbringing and background…but in terms of where I blossomed as an artist, Philly really did that for me,” he said. “Being able to put myself up against the canvas of Philly has really helped me. Everything is very community based, and it’s very easy to find people you can connect with on a deeper level than just, ‘I’m trying to make it big in music.’”

He finds that the music scene in Philadelphia sort of holds a mirror to his own unique experiences and pursuits as an artist.

“I keep finding glimpses of myself in its history even though I’m not from the city; that’s really cool to me,” he said. “There’s a sense of experimenting and allowing people to play that I enjoy about Philly’s music scene, and I haven’t heard that about any other place…I think Philly is a really great place for that and has really helped me shape that part of my artistry.” 

In terms of his artistic pursuits, music definitely came first, but he doesn’t feel the need to trade in one love for another. He plans to pursue acting, his second love, with the same fervor.

“Though music is a deep love of mine, acting is something I enjoy just as much. I’d be happy doing either one with my life, and I plan to,” he explained. “They intertwine in ways, but I view them as their own pieces of me.”

For Matthu, there’s no separating the passion from the person, and that’s a large part of the reason why music is so important to him– it’s a part of him. But he also recognizes that it is a part of a whole. 

“It’s hard to find the balance between what makes you talented bringing value, and all the other things bringing you value. I’ve been flowing the middle and edges of that, and shaping that into something,” he said. “It’s been a very wild ride, but music is a universal language, and it’s just as universal as it is personal. Your art is you, but maybe you’re not just your art.”

He’s not particularly excited by the marketing and social media virality that are huge facets of the current music industry. But he is excited about continuing to fulfill and evolve his artistry. 

“What’s next for me is finding the role of music in my life and finding the joy and what I want to say,” he said. “[Music] feels like family to me. It feels like my twin. It feels very molecular in my veins. It’s something I just do, and I like to think I do it well.”

His main goal is for his music to be a grounding experience, and he plans to release an EP soon. Be sure to keep an eye out.