photo by steed media service

Looking at Matthew Santos, you wouldn’t believe that he delivers such a soulful sound. Nor does Santos behave like a superstar — something he croons about on Lupe Fiasco’s single “Superstar.” The Minneapolis native is laid-back yet passionate. He quit both school and his job to devote himself to music full time. Then everything came at once; recording music on Lupe’s first and second albums, and the release of his own first album, Matters of the Bittersweet. To Santos, music is much more than lyrics and notes.

“Real music to me goes beyond style and genre,” says Santos. “It has to touch your heart and your soul. It has to go deeper [to] where you are, and [you should] not just [be]intellectually stimulated by it. It has to touch you at such a point where you are in awe from what you are hearing and what you are experiencing.”

Santos isn’t influenced by individual genres and it shows. His music speaks universally, and he hopes it inspires universally. “I hope to inspire people who take responsibility for their unique gifts, because everybody has been given a unique gift, a niche, or a talent, some are more obvious than others. In my opinion we are all put on Earth for a reason and we all have gifts to give. It is just a matter of finding it and using it for the greater good.” –adrienne gadling

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