Through writing and producing his own music, Mattmac shares his story and journey with mental health vulnerably, demonstrating his drive to succeed.
By: Jillian Gonzales
Mattmac is an Oji-Cree artists from Garden Hill First Nation who is making strides in the musical industry. (IRIS/Canada's Walk of Fame)
Matthew Monias, artistically known as Mattmac, is an Oji-Cree musical artist based in Manitoba who is on the rise to fame. The musician, who writes, records and produces his own music, has been blind since birth and uses music as a vessel for healing. This is especially evident in his most recent album, Blurred Visions, released in July, Mattmac shows his vulnerability through his lyrics while pairing them with a hip-hop, pop-trap sound.
Most recently, he was named the grand prize winner of the 2022 Canada’s Walk of Fame for RBC Emerging Musician Program, a contest highlighting young musicians in an attempt to support them as they build sustainable musical careers. . His music is sonically innovative, and his authentic lyrics, mental health journey and rise in the music industry make him a musician who should be on everyone’s radar.
Mattmac was born and raised in Garden Hill First Nation, a reserve in northeast Manitoba almost 500 km north of Winnipeg. The blind artist also experienced depression as a child — and music was the escape he turned to for comfort. His music brings this subject matter to a melodic life, where he focuses on the isolation and mental health battles that have been prevalent throughout his entire life. Songs like Isolation” and “Bring in the Light” relate to these subjects differently, showing his growing perspective on life and the battles he deals with. Mattmac lays out his feelings around these matters almost as if it is a diary, it is personal and raw, while still poetic.
In an article from the Indigenous news network APTN News, Monias speaks about access barriers he’s encountered. As a Blind creative, his production technology must be accessible to his needs. The privilege to go to a computer repair shop in minutes does not extend to everyone, and Monias has explained that he relies on delivering services to get the equipment necessary to his artistic practice.
In the same interview, he says if his computer or equipment were to break down, he would have to fly in the equipment to repair it. This is part of Matthew’s journey: to utilize and innovate.
Recently, Mattmac has been getting more of the recognition he deserves. His debut album, 20/20, released on Nov. 20, 2020, saw his song “Paradise” make the top 10 on Indigenous Music Countdown. He has been acclaimed by notable outlets and studios such as CBC, CTV and Virgin Radio. In 2021, Mattmac was awarded the Broadcast Dialogue Emerging Artist Radio Award and Rap/Electronic Album of the Year at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards.
Mattmac’s self-produced Blurred Visions is a beautiful 11-track album that uses pop-trap beats to share his experiences of feeling isolated and unseen amid his experiences with mental health. Pop-trap, an emerging music sub-genre, can best be described in how it intertwines lively pop music and rhythmic trap beats and pair pop vocals with rap and hip-hop. He manipulates contemporarily popular beats by giving them a twist unique to him and his sound. The popular use of the kick drum is present, but lyrical instruments have a heavy influence, creating a new sound. Influence from drill music is apparent in Mattmac’s music and can be compared to Lil Durk and Pop Smoke’s musical sounds. Still, it differs because of his impressive range and melodic flow.
Songs like “Isolation,” “Rez” and “What We Could Be,” pair the hypnotic trap beat and drums with softer-sounding instruments like piano and strings. Mattmac’s second studio album showcases his songwriting and producing abilities by allowing him to tell real-life stories through words and music. While the rollercoaster of feelings he has experienced during his music career are addressed, the mention of his Oji-Cree heritage and the reverence and pride he holds for his lineage is a consistent theme throughout the album, especially in songs like “Bring in the Light” and “Rez.”
In “Skofoaride,” he highlights how his success is not just for him but to share with his family, showing his drive and determination to succeed goes beyond himself, extending to the collectives and communities that have shaped him. He sings “I’m making a living / don’t know why you’re hating /, I’m getting my family to eat.”
Lyrics like “Eye on the prize, I’m just living for the moment” in “Isolation” and “I had to hustle to the sun up” in “Come Up” motivate listeners to fight through adversity alongside Mattmac. He is a wonderful storyteller, and his lyrics and accompaniment emphasize the overarching theme of inspiration and drive.
Upon first listening to Blurred Visions, sonically, the craftsmanship is fascinating. The upbeat nature some may expect from this hip-hop genre is not always there. Instead, he takes trap beats and makes them gentler on the ear. There is a subtle softness to these beats — the classic kick drums popular in trap music are muted, but the fast tempo overtakes to create a more lively, atmospheric sound, which is most evident in “Status,” “Luck That I Met You” and “What We Could Be.” Their change in pace, along with their harmonious sounds and transitions, captivate the listener. Mattmac’s music production, paired with the lyrics of the songs, coalesce brilliantly to produce a heartfelt album.
“Isolation” opens Blurred Visions with a piano instrumental and Mattmac’s producer tag, “it’s that Mattmac with the sauce.” It starts slow but picks up with a repetitive kick drum. Not only do the lyrics about Mattmac’s physical isolation stand out, but so do his journey as an artist and the psychological loneliness he deals with. Overall, this song is meant to introduce listeners to who he is as an artist and inform them of his resilience. There is a bittersweet mood within this song. It communicates Mattmac’s emotional and physical solitude but also serves as a song of hope.
As a song with so many layers that has the potential to resonate deeply with a wide range of listeners, it is a truly beautiful piece of music.
The third track on Blurred Visions is “Run It” and features Winnipeg artist Caid Jones. This song is the most streamed on the album, and deservedly so. It is faster and has a heavier trap presence, especially since Caid Jones brings a heavy rap flow. The energy Jones brings resembles Travis Scott’s by how it increases in tempo, how the drum rolls, and how the beat synthesizes. Its heavy bass drops make the song stand out, giving it the hype one might expect from a pop-trap album.
“Run It” is about making it past the doubt others have had over Mattmac and his career. With lyrics like “can’t even believe they were counting me out” and “I finally made it, I’m seeing some better days,” he shows that he has not experienced just internal, personal growth but growth that is visible to others. It is a commentary on the strength it takes to believe in yourself and work against the grain–especially when the grain is riddled with colonial and ableist systems that hinder us. The trap influence on this song reinforces the album’s hopeful aesthetic, presenting a nonlinear array of feelings.
“Rez” closes the album and is melodically powerful conclusion to a lyrically robust beginning and middle. Mattmac harmonizes his vocals to tell his life story on the reserve. This song reaches a higher range than the others, has a more hypnotic sound and includes a sung chorus not found in the other songs. There are hums and vocables to open and close the song, which resembles a chant; a rattler cry. Lyrically, the song recounts the experiences of Monias as an Indigenous person and the feelings of abandonment he has encountered. The repeating lyric “that’s the life we are living in the Rez,” being sung and carried out in long notes, makes the message much more powerful. This song is powerful by melding singing and rapping together to tell this story. It does not use a mundane, quiet beat but instead is louder and higher than the others to create a sense of urgency for listeners to connect with it.
To close the album, “Rez” musically and lyrically leaves listeners thinking about Indigenous Peoples and the systems which work to marginalize and ostracize them. In an interview with MBC On-Demand, MattMac states, “I felt so limited to what I had because I didn’t have any resources.” He goes on to say, “Garageband was one of the first [softwares] I used.” Mattmac explains how learning to create music with his limited resources has been difficult, but it's been a struggle he has had to overcome.
Monias is someone who, through his music, has created breeding grounds for conversations about how these experiences of community, Indigeneity and strength, Mattmac is a musical mastermind who uses art as a tool for storytelling.
His music goes beyond what is presented to you. It is deep and meaningful — it is an ongoing commentary on time, effort and patience, the three things he believes are what will move one’s dreams forward.
In a recent CBC interview, he says, "without neither of them, it's going to be a bit difficult, and it's going to make it seem like you're not moving. But if you maintain all three, you'll get where you want to be … Keep at it and achieve that dream."