Clane Matthew is a hip hop artist originally from Jamaica. He moved back to America in 2008, where he discovered in the 6th grade that he was musically inclined, starting by learning trumpet and later playing the piano by ear. He began writing his own music in the 8th grade, enduring taunts from his fellow classmates. Eminem was one of his biggest influences growing up, with his captivating flow and lyricism. Entering high school, Clane Matthew began to become disenfranchised with the hip hop genre and its general subject matter: cars, guns, violence, etc. His discovery of the prolific Kendrick Lamar was the antidote to this and reignited his interest in hip hop music. Clane Matthew’s goal is to be a role model for the younger generation as he believes there are not enough of them around. His aim, through his music, is to bring peace and positivity to people’s hearts so they can affect change. He wants to make a substantial difference in people’s lives and be the ray of hope in this dark world.
Clane Matthew has recently released a brand new single called “Melancholic Therapy”. The song begins with a calming piano, and the beat enters with the first verse simultaneously. It’s a nice and simple arrangement, with just a few elements coming together allowing the lyrics to stand out. The chorus goes from rapping to singing, and the melody is a memorable and catchy one. The second verse is much more busy than the first, with more rapid and rhythmic lyrics coming through providing a contrast to the more sparse beginnings. Some of the touched-upon themes in this song are dealing with hardships, developing character to become better, and generally just overcoming obstacles. What is most striking about Clane Matthew’s song is that, true to his word, there isn’t any of the typical rapper bravado and confidence that so many artists choose to present as their image. What comes across is humble, honest and actually quite soulful. “Melancholic Therapy” is, beyond what the title suggests, a reflective and contemplative tune that will have you thinking beyond the mundane day-to-day qualities of life.
We highly recommend you check Clane's "Melancholic Therapy" out today on Spotify!
Keep scrolling for the artists exclusive interview with BuzzMusic.
Where do you live now and how would you describe the overall music scene there?
As of now I live in Orlando, Florida. It’s a great place to live but honestly not too many opportunities for conscious artists. The music scene here is a bit on the mainstream side. Everyone is rapping about the same things: getting rich, having girls, having expensive jewelry and cars, and violence...so when a majority of the population has this mindset instilled in them, it’s kind of hard for my music to really resonate; that’s why my music gets more exposure and recognition outside of Orlando.
You seem to try and invoke positivity with your lyrics. Can you dive a bit deeper and describe what you had in mind behind “Melancholic Therapy”, your new single?
Definitely! So “Melancholic Therapy” is actually one of the songs from my “Melancholic Theory” EP. The EP serves to be a representation of my life and struggles and how I use music as a way of therapy to self heal; and also hopefully sympathizing with others who are also facing the same predicaments I face. The song itself is a tribute to individuals who had to become an adult before their time in order to care for the ones they love, and is also a testimony of my experience of becoming an adult at a young age. Hopefully the experiences I talk about and my resolutions to my problems could give hope to those who are facing similar challenges.
Besides Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, who you mention as big influences, who do you look to for artistic inspiration?
J Cole and Childish Gambino. They’re some of the greatests right now. They’re flow, lyricism and message gives me inspiration everyday to continue my musical journey. In the morning when I go to work, the three songs I play in the car are DNA by Kendrick Lamar, Middle Child by J Cole, sometimes G.O.M.D. and Freaks and Geeks by Childish Gambino. Those are the songs that give me inspiration to go through the day and also continue my musical journey and mission. It would be an absolute dream to work with them someday!
What is your writing process like? How does all your music come together?
It’s real simple. I take the topics that has affected me personally and affected the public, and just write. I do it almost like an essay. I lay my words on the paper and get everything that I need to, out on the paper. Then I use that information and organize it into different main ideas and punchlines in order to create a direct link to the implications of the topic, and boom! There’s your song! Although I have great lyrics, the flow is a whole different thing to worry about; so I often experiment with the flow of the words on the paper and find interesting and unique ways to spill the words on the track before actually recording the final piece. And that’s how my songs are made.
What can we hope to see from Clane Matthew in the future?
You can hope to see Clane Matthew making a difference! I have three EPs left to drop this year. I have “Melancholic Therapy”, “Season of Love”, which serves to uplift women by appreciating their beauty just the way they are, and “ I’m Not A Rapper” which is gonna be a hard, fire delivery of why I’m not a “rapper” but an artist looking to instill intellectual stimulation and change the world. After that I plan on creating a feed the homeless campaign in Downtown Orlando by raising money through my music and personally dishing out food and supplies for the homeless. So get ready because 2019 is gonna be a big year!
Catch Clane Matthew on his socials: