With his honest, unique perspective and one-of-a-kind blend of alternative, R&B, and hip hop, Mathiah stands out from the crowd in more ways than one. While he always had an affinity for music, it was his move from Jordan to America that truly inspired his artistry.
Fleeing a war-torn country and processing the hardships of his youth, he turned to artists and albums who made him feel less alone — while developing a knack for rhyming that would soon allow him to do the same for others. Learning the craft at the same time as learning English, Mathiah proved to be unstoppable in his teenage years — and hasn’t slowed down since.
Using his voice to tell his own story and help others in the process, Mathiah strikes the perfect balance of powerful vulnerability and infectious soundscapes. His newest single, “Swimming Through Water”, is the perfect example of this.
We hear from Mathiah about his musical origins, songwriting process, and how it feels to release such personal music out into the world.
Stream “Swimming Through Water”…
Read the interview…
Hi Mathiah! How are you doing?
Things were dark but things are starting to brighten up!
When did you first begin creating music?
I started making music in high school. After the school bus would drop us off, me and my friends would start freestyling. I didn’t know English that well at the time, but I fell in love with rhyming, so I started to ask my friends how to rhyme and then I would fill all my notebooks with freestyles everyday so I would finally be a part of ciphers at the apartments.
Who or what were your early musical inspirations?
When I lived in Jordan (in the Middle East), I grew up watching MTV and seeing artists like Kanye West. I started to learn about the culture, but when I moved to the US, I started listening to Lupe Fiasco. On his Lasers album, he was talking about war and politics, and it inspired me to start writing my own lyrics and share my views so people all over the world wouldn’t feel alone and I would be their voice — even if it meant being vulnerable.
You cross genres with your music, forming your own. How would you describe your sound?
That’s a question I struggle to answer myself haha, I just create what I feel and if the beat is a different genre from what I usually do and it sounds good then that’s where I’ll start to go.
Do you have a typical songwriting process?
My song process is all freestyles. I usually go through 50 beats a day and see if I can match my voice and feeling with the beat. I’ll freestyle a bunch of takes, which I call sketching, using different tones and melodies. Whatever comes out will be the subject of the song, and then I start writing and filling in the blanks.
What inspired “Swimming Through Water”?
I was getting sick of making heartbreak music and hearing it, so I challenged myself to actually stand out and write about my personal experience instead of thinking about what’s trending and what people would like.
What is it like to release such personal and vulnerable music?
I always wanted to talk about my life but I couldn’t bring that side of me out. It was like learning a new language. All I knew was heartbreak, which gets redundant and doesn’t really help me grow as an artist, so I knew I had to push myself and really make a difference in my career, even though it was personal and my family would listen to it.
Do you have a career highlight?
Seeing people close to me cry to my records and telling me how they feel my pain even through a pair of headphones is honestly the reason that keeps me going.
What are you looking forward to in the near or far future?
To continue to listen to myself and trust my ear, so I can really focus on my craft, share my view with the world, and make some sort of a difference in third world countries. I have a lot of ideas (not just music) and I will do my best to bring them to life, so when I look back at what I’ve done, I can say I’m a man of my word.