Khari Mateen is a name synonymous with Renaissance man, for he not only songwrites but he also produces and plays various instruments. A smooth jazz musician, Mateen dabbles into rock by playing in the band Elevator Fight, but also has collaborated with Jill Scott, James Poyser, Roots offshoot Money Making Jam Boys and etc. Surprisingly, though, he has no favorite musical venue. They all receive equal attention and serve their purpose in keeping him up at night.
“It is like a swinging ball that moves in a triangle that, when one is lacking, I trying to add energy, while always trying to expand its reach…very hard, very time consuming…,” Mateen strives to maintain all areas equally, and although he pushes himself, he does not worry.
Furthermore, Mateen has solidly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the musical industry for approximately the past eight years and has been able to continually improve through experimenting with structure and mix/sound engineering techniques that he has fine tuned over the years. He challenges himself to play at the next level every single time he takes the stage and that has allowed himself to also advance upon his playing ability. Not only has his sound transformed technique wise, his love for music, the stage, and the studio has grown profoundly and it shows when he plays, whether he is subduing or exposing his talent in order to reach a broad audience. Mateen is truly flexible and well rounded.
What exactly led him to this point in his life? His father played jazz, hip hop, and rock while his mom played R&B and soul music, thus contributing to his musical interest at a very young age. He had an extremely strong foundation for his creative talents and pursuits, which allowed him freedom of expression. His dreams were further expanded upon through lessons from his cello teacher, Ruth Einstein. When Mateen moved to Philadelphia, it marked a new stage of his life where he obtained the experience of improvising music through jamming with others in addition to learning to create music in the studio.
“So from the inside of the studio, I learned the beginnings of manipulating the tone of the music, shaping frequency to evoke emotion. All of these influences including life lesson are what I take into the studio and on stage,” he says. Philadelphia’s work ethics have also influenced Mateen to maintain a high level of execution as Philly is extremely progressive in the arts.
Mateen recently finished a score for CNN’s documentary/mini-series, Chicagoland, and a film called We Could Be King. During this summer, Mateen will be touring Europe with Cody Simpson. For something unexpected, Mateen is in the process of writing a 300 page children’s book.
“Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support,” says Mateen. “Please feel free to contact me and I will try and answer as many as I physically can. I will continue to bring my work to you, making sure that I put great care into every part of who I am and what I do.”
Learn more about Khari Mateen, musical Renaissance man here.
