Creative Spotlight: Matthew Jackson (aka Mateo Banks)

Where are you from?
Jamaica. I was born and raised in Jamaica. I live in New York right now. That's where I've resided since 2018, so I’ve lived there for about three years.

What are you studying?
I'm studying finance. No minor, just finance. Before I chose music as a career path, I was always into business, into math. That sort of stuff. I started university in Jamaica. That's the major I chose so I'm still sticking with it.

How do you see your studies intersect with your music?
The business part is just as important as the talent part. So I hope to integrate both and use what I learn here, combine it with my talent, and make myself as big as possible.

How long have you been making music?
Since I was a child, since I was really small. I'd make it without even knowing it, you know, in the shower singing and stuff like that. Yeah, so I'd say since prep school.

You mentioned singing. Was that your first love? Did you play an instrument?
My first love was more DJing, but not DJing as disc jockeying. In Jamaica we call the way we sing and dancehall music 'DJing,’ so it would be like the same thing as rapping but in our dialect. So I always used to do DJing as a kid, always spitting rhymes here and there. In classrooms, when the teacher stepped out, we'd bang rhythms on the table, and we'd spit right then and there.

When did you decide to do music more seriously–beyond the classroom or at home?
Well, I'd say I started thinking about it in my final years of high school. You know, my friends would always say, "Oh, this is something you could do for real." And it wasn't really until I came [to the U.S.] in 2018 that I gave it some real thought. I said, "This is something I want to do for real, for real."

Have you felt any pushback from friends or family? Or, have you ever had any doubts?
Well, the major one would be my religion; my faith as a Christian. I would think, "is this something that I can do? Is this something that–if I did it–would please God?" Because it's not gospel music, it's reggae, it's a different genre. That was the major thing. But in terms of myself, I had confidence in myself that I had the talent for it and the drive to it and so forth.

You mentioned the big conflict for you was figuring out if there's a way for you to pursue your musical career while also doing in a way that glorifies God. Do you feel like you've come closer to solving that conflict you just mentioned?
Yeah, yeah. Fortunately, I do reggae music, and also a fusion [of different genres] but my base is reggae music. [It] tends to have a spiritual element to it. So it was very easy to incorporate [God] into my music. During my decision processes, it's something that I prayed about, I gave it much thought. So, yeah, I'd say I'm on the right track with it.

You just mentioned that reggae has spiritual elements to it. Can you talk about some of those misconceptions that people have about the genre and what reggae actually is like in your view?
Firstly, there's dancehall, and then there's reggae, but the world categorizes dancehall as a subgenre of reggae. But in Jamaica they're pretty distinct. It's easy to distinguish between both of them. We in Jamaica see them differently. Some people might hear dancehall, and I think it's reggae. Dancehall is more rugged, it's more coarse, it's more explicit. The beats are heavier. It's more uptempo, that kind of stuff. It's a little raunchier than reggae and the subject matter is different. So, in dancehall, we talk about everything: we talk about society, violence, girls. Everything. Reggae takes on a more spiritual, thankful vibe, because it was  birthed out of the Rastafarian movement. You know Bob Marley, everybody knows Bob Marley. [He's] one of the biggest reggae artists in the world. And one of the biggest artists overall. So, we typically associate reggae music with Rastafarianism. Because of that, the music also has that spiritual feel. It's positive, it's clean, it's about love. It's about friendship, family. It's just cleaner music overall than dancehall.

What are some themes within your music that you like to write about or what are different things or ideas that pop up for you as you create?
Well, I've given myself a personal quota. In terms of the stuff that I will sing about and stuff that I won't. So stuff like violence I won't sing about that. I've prided myself on sticking to things that are more positive, more real, more relatable. God is a big [theme] that I talk about my music, [as well as] my life experiences and struggles. I love to sing about ladies, I love to sing about girls and relationships. I love to sing about myself, too.

As you're making music, what would you say is the funniest or most rewarding part about that process?
Hearing the finished product, especially after it's gone through the recording and the mixing process. It goes from the idea in your head, to singing it, then to recording it, to hearing it being mixed and mastered and then hearing the final product. So I'd say that would be one of them. Another rewarding part is when others hear it, and they're able to have the same feeling you have for it and hear them say, "Yo, you're good at this." That's dope. So yeah, so those, those two things are really rewarding.
Can you think of a lesson that you've learned in your years of making music that you've been able to apply to other areas of your life?
Don't be easily swayed by people–by their support or their lack of it. I've made songs and thought this is probably one of my best works. Then you put it out, and you don't get that reaction. Then you start to feel a little weird about it, but maybe one or a few people might message you and say, "Hey, this is tough. Keep doing what you're doing. Just keep your eye on the prize. Keep focused." If you have a goal and a plan, and you have a clear way of reaching it: stick to it.

There will be some rocky parts of the road where you might feel like it's not working. I apply that to school. Sometimes I do courses that I don't feel have anything to do with my major or anything to do with my life in general. But you have to pass, you don't want your GPA to drop, or you need to graduate. So you still do it. Another big one is to step out of your comfort zone. Even with your comfort zone, you can't stray from your values. That's key for me, because there's some things that you have to do to advance yourself. But at the same time, there's some things that are off limits because that goes against who you are, and that might change who you are. So, get out of your comfort zone, but don't stray from your values. Those are some of the big lessons I've learned.

Check out Matthew’s music under the name “Mateo Banks” on all platforms or via the links below!
Latest Song: https://youtu.be/jTeb8U0A8pU
Fan Favorite: https://youtu.be/ciyyRjkc3h4
Matthew’s Personal Favorite: https://youtu.be/74g8t0NHwWg