We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamaal Matters . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamaal below.

Jamaal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

One thing that I truly appreciate my parents for, is that they stressed financial stability and independence. I can remember vividly how around the age of 17, they were creating graphs and charts with examples of monthly bills and expenses. My parents always warned me not to get a credit card. These lessons were very useful throughout my adult life because I never had to ask anyone for anything. Shoutout to my parents!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jamaal Matters and I’m a Hip hop artist. Growing up in North Carolina during the 90’s influenced me to rhyme in a major way. As a youth, everything around me inspired my creativity. When I was 10 years of age, I can vividly remember waking up on a Saturday morning to watch BET’s rap city. The top 10 countdown was a must for most black kids in that era. Two of my older cousins were DJ’s at the time, so I had access to a library of records. I was a youngster digging in the crates and making my own tapes using acapella’s from my favorite artist’s and placing them over different instrumentals. One of the main reasons I chose to create was, I always wanted to make someone’s life easier through my music. I remember going through many trials in my late teens and listening to artist’s like Dipset and Jay-z helped me to cope with whatever I was dealing with. Today I had a fan reach out to me and express that my song “Fresh Calamari” is how he starts his day when he wakes up. Hearing encouraging words from my fans always reminds me why I stared creating music. What sets me apart from other emcees is my unique voice. As a fan of hip hop, Ive always noticed that the most legendary artists always had a stand out vocal presence on records. Not only is my voice unique but I also bring my authentic style to each song. I’ve had many individuals tell me that my southern twang, combined with my East coast flow creates a interesting sound for my songs. Recently, I opened for the legendary hip hop group Kooley High. A few days before my big performance, I came down with a bad cold. I was very congested and felt horrible. It’s 3 days before the biggest show in my career and I’m sick. I was questioning if I would be able to perform with a hoarse voice and stuffy nose. Although I was battling this nasty cold, I kept rehearsing and preparing for the show with my Producer/Hypeman A.R.T and DJ Perry Paper. I decided that cancelling was not an option and the show was a huge success. I brought out all of my featured artist to perform with me. I can’t explain how awesome it was opening for Kooley High at Kings Downtown Raleigh. The performance is one of my most proud moments. I was able to Persevere and push though my adversity and succeed. Currently, I’m working on a EP titled “New Rap City” with my producer A.R.T. The concept is based around 90’s nostalgia and catering to my fanbase who grew up in the Rap city era. New Rap City will be releasing in the Spring.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal and mission is to build my own ecosystem of fans and supporters who I can help and motivate through my artistry. I’m creating merch and building a community of fans. My fans will help me to not only provide a living for myself, but to also stay consistent with giving them valuable music and merch.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I don’t know a lot about NFT’s but I believe that they have potential to create income for individuals who are interested in researching and learning how to navigate the market.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jamaalmattersmusic?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=c0c4af08-7ab7-4efb-8d56-6e18b6db9014
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamaalmatters/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3XHTUdxuZzLp05qY25EPRi?si=GipluE13Q-ufnKexM0bsoQ
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCocmKUFprRnBimALTveL56w