Date of Interview: 11/09/2011
Considering the amount of formal and informal music training Mateo has received over the years, it may be unsurprising that the crossroads of his professional journey would intersect with those of Kerry “Krucial” Brothers, a long-time collaborator with Alicia Keys and the co-founder of KrucialKeys Enterprise. As the member of a highly-musical family, in addition to his business and music concentrations at Morehouse College, the care and precision of Mateo’s entry into entertainment’s saturated industry is guided by a “blueprint” established by Alicia Keys, a contemporary artist who has managed to have longevity in an ever-evolving marketplace.
To be certain: all great things take time to grow and develop. But in retrospect, the universal appeal of his current single, “Say It’s So,” hints of an artist whose bright light has finally been freed from darkness.
During a promotional campaign for Love & Stadiums, Mateo managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the importance of his Morehouse experience, his perspective on “urban modernism” and the musical standard set by his grandfather, Freddy Jordan (of King Records).
