Mat Randol

North Portland native Mat Randol’s lyrics could be written and packaged as a memoir or a masterclass in how to persevere. The indie rapper-songwriter, obsessed with intricate production and worldbuilding, interweaves stories of his resilient upbringing with vulnerable offerings from a wounded human. His music falls under a unique brand of “impact music,” a genre Mat created to describe the affecting nature of his candid musings on jagged adolescence and finding his way as a man, son, father, and friend. Falling in love with music at a young age, Mat started songwriting and self-producing in a small bedroom in his grandmother’s house at the age of 15. After losing both his father and grandfather, he began pouring his grief into his own music, refusing to continue suppressing his emotions in hopes he could inspire anyone facing depression. He released his debut project, Alignment, in 2015, asserting himself into the underground hip-hop conversation and accumulating a loyal following eager to hear more. Since then, Mat has released two albums—2018’s Art of Allowing and this year’s What Are You Afraid Of— as well four EPs, a plethora of singles, and collaborations with rising stars like WESTSIDE BOOGIE and YoungShirtMayne. Some of his biggest accomplishments include performing at Atlanta’s annual A3C Festival in 2015, appearing on multiple radio shows, and amassing over 53K streams on Spotify. What Are You Afraid Of is Mat’s most polished effort to date. Dedicated to building a cinematic universe within his discography, WAYAO explores the concept of fear and anxiety, a feat Mat is no stranger to as he continues to shed light on his relatable dealings with mental health. Sonically, the album plays like a first-person documentary of the Oregon artist’s state of mind in 2021. His flow is hungrier and more confident than ever before but grounded in moments of desire and self-awareness (“Insecure,” Say About Me”). The project has guest features from WESTSIDE, Knox Randol, Brill, Lucille Ghatti, Gates, Milc, and C’est La) and is backed by classic production that feels warm and nostalgic. When asked what makes him different from his musical peers, Mat’s answer is simple: “I feel like my story hasn’t been told. No one talks about living in a hoarder’s house or struggles with becoming a man and what it means to be a man. My city is looked at one way when, really, there’s a darkness/underworld to it that I explore a lot in my music. I just feel like no one can deliver raw emotion like I can.”