Originally from Jamaica, Clane Matthew moved to the United States in 2008. He
didn’t have a lot of money growing up and would face many challenges that came alone with it,
but would eventually overcome them. Clane always had a love for hip hop and rap and idolized
Kendrick Lamar and his music. Clane knew that he wanted to do something great with his music
and wants to help today’s young generation.
Clane Matthew’s new track, “Platforms” brings an enlightening point of view to the music
industry. Matthew raps to a beat, some piano chords, which later progresses into a classic hip
hop beat. The beat really picks up which makes the listener become more involved with his
music. Matthew speaks honestly about how he sees today's generation and seems to preach
self awareness to his listeners of how we should recognize the destruction social media has
taken on society as a whole.
We see the transition between vibes in his song with a clever use of , “I’m not done yet”
when we expect the song to end.The use of a synth orchestra and a hard beat will really capture
the attention of young listeners and hopefully impact those who listen to it. After listening to this
powerful track, it will definitely make you think twice and be more self aware of society and how
people are easily influenced. This is a beautiful and refreshing message compared to the
recurring themes and sounds of hip hop and rap today.
Listen to “Platforms” here and get to know Clane Matthew in our interview below!
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
In the next five years I see myself helping the people and rebuilding communities. I also see myself spreading peace, love, knowledge and awarensss around the world. I’m just trying to make a difference. And honestly I don’t even do it for the money. I believe that I was put on this earth with the se gifts for a reason. I’m here to make a change for the greater good, and if I’m not there within 5 years then I’ll damn well make sure I get there!
Do you think that your music is well adaptable for today’s generation?
I honestly don’t think it’s adaptable. My music is different. Nowadays most listeners just look for catchiness and the elements of the beat. They don’t care about the lyrics, the just wanna vibe with the song. I on the other hand focus less on the beat and more on the lyricism. With the beat being simple yet elegant, it puts more focus on the lyrics and force listeners to listen to what I have to say. And after the song I would hope they’ve becomes more enlightened about soemthing they knew nothing about before. Honestly I like that I’m different. It sets me apart from the crowd. Just imagine if everyone in the world was the same; we would have a pretty boring world!
Why do you think rap music is so focused on money,drugs,fame,girls etc?
I think rap music is focused on these topics because it’s right in front of our faces. They admit in their music. They talk about getting high, popping mollies, drink Hennessy, talk about their bentlies and talk about fucking other people’s bitches. I’m just honestly tired of it. That’s all I hear every song, even songs from indie artists. It’s the same thing over and over and over again. No one comes with anything new and no one wants to speak the truth about what’s going on. I don’t want our generation and the future generation to sink further and further into the abyss, because they’re gonna get to the point where there’s no way out and they’ll be trapped there forever. I like positivity, I like substance, and the majority of these mainstream artists aren’t speaking that, so that’s where I fill in the gap. I want to be that flower that blooms in a dark room, just like Kendrick Lamar said.
Do you think your music is relatable to the younger generation today of millennial's?
I don’t think it’s relatable, and that’s where the challenge arises. Most of today’s youth are already accustomed to modern music, and to make such a drastic change would have a negative feedback. I’ve had instances in where no one wanted to listen to my music cause it wasn’t “lit” enough and that it was “trash” just simply because it didn’t relate to them. I have no problem with that. I already knew what I was getting myself into the moment I started this agenda; but one thing I know is that when folks start to finally listen, the world will be changed forever. In the mean time I just have to keep going and keep believing in the good work Im doing. Like my father says, nothing beats a trial but a failure. With hard work, and dedication, I do believe people will start to listen.
How would you categorize your genre of music and would you have consider going
outside of your genre?
That’s tough! My gender of music is hip hop, but then it’s turns into rap, spoken word, and the conscious hip hop. It’s a mixture of the three. I utilize them to the best of my abilities to create lyrics, and unique sounds and flows. As I said before being different puts you aside form everyone else because when you’re with everyone else you’re often overlooked because you’re the same, but when you’re different it raises curiosity. Curiosity is a natural human instinct and that’s what I play on. With this method, I hope I can get the buzz I need to really bring my message to the public. I do want to venture out and try new genres. At the moment my next single is hip hop/rock. I think it’s gonna be a great project because it talks about uplifting women of all cultures, all colors and all shapes and sizes. But for now, I think I’ll just stick to hip hop. Hopefully later in my career I can venture out and try new genres.
What can we expect from you in 2019?
In 2019, expect me to make a difference. 2019 has started off the be a great year so far. In 2018, my single “The Unspoken Word” went viral in Asia and Africa, reaching over 50,000 views. The Unspoken Word talks about the struggles of me being a black man in the United States. It registered well with many people and I gained a lot of buzz from the song. I hope to do the same in 2019 and spread knowledge and awareness to everyone! I’ve already had radio interviews in the past 2 months and 2 shows in the past three months, with two more shows coming in January and February. Expect the name Clane Matthew to become a household name, as I strive to bring change to the world, and 2019 will be that year!
Connect with Clane Matthew on social media:
Facebookk: www.facebook.com/ClaneMatthew
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clanematthew