lawrence matthews: artist of the month 003
March was a standout month for Memphis-based rapper Lawrence Matthews. After a contested online poll that saw him tied with two other talented contenders for much of the voting period, Matthews ultimately emerged victorious to be named TCC Entertainment's Artist of the Month, a well-deserved accolade that comes on the heels of Matthews' release of his new single "Limelight Honey" – a reflection on the duality of artistic ambition that draws from his personal experiences and observations. In this interview, the rising artist unpacks the inspirations behind the lyrics, describing a journey of navigating the "new Heavens and Hells at every level of life" that come with the pursuit of creative fulfillment. Beyond the songwriting, Matthews also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the "Limelight Honey" music video, determined to authentically capture the raw realities of his hometown roots. With his sights set on cementing a legacy as one of the greats to hail from Memphis, Matthews' ambitious artistic vision is set to make a lasting impact.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION OR STORY BEHIND THE MAKING OF "LIMELIGHT HONEY"? DOES IT DRAW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OR OBSERVATIONS?
“Both are definitely woven together: my personal experiences and the experiences of others where I come from kind of shot through the extended metaphor of wanting to escape reality through some process, through an elixir. Going after that "Limelight Honey". Then navigating the side effects of what that brings you. It’s always been a pain associated with the lives of artists on either side. When you’re unknown and struggling to make a name for yourself, it’s painful. You work so hard to get out of that space and once you’re there, many, many, many times our greatest artists run into another type of pain. Folks get exposed to things that didn’t exist where they were from and a lot of times fall victim to it. The pressure, the criticism, the exploration. Like you thought FedEx was bad, some dude owns your masters now because you couldn’t read well enough and they knew that. You were frustrated going to school because you couldn’t afford nice clothes, now thousands of people yell at you for what you look like on social media every day. Artists are treated like royalty and like trash at the same time, every day. It's very peculiar. New heavens and hells at every level of life. A lot of my lyrics are kind of arrogant, like okay… I see that but I’ll take whatever is coming over the current hell I’m in. I’ve had experiences that were so painful it felt like I was being burned alive by the human experience and in those moments when I couldn’t do anything, I leaned into music and it always took me out of that hell. As much as being an artist has exposed me to, it’s saved me from so many things and shown me so much beauty and love. That's Limelight Honey. Making a conscious decision to go in the direction of the light knowing how many people have been consumed by it.”
WHAT WAS THE OVERALL VISION AND PROCESS FOR BRINGING THE MUSIC VIDEO TO LIFE? ARE THERE ANY INTERESTING BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORIES FROM MAKING THIS SONG AND VIDEO THAT GIVE INSIGHT INTO YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
“For the video, it took me like 6 months just to decide what I was presenting. It was directly connected to my journey of being okay with my present life. Social media got messed up; being a regular person with a regular life feels like the most boring thing you can be online. You gotta work against the fact we’ve made everyone’s attention spans so short, and the more famous artists fed folks flossing and extravagance for so long that the idea of what a rapper looks like changed toward designer everything, chains and videos that are basically all CGI and stuff. Which leaves a lot of folks having to fake it to gain a fanbase. Going broke pretending to be rich with no fans. I couldn’t do that stuff. I had just changed my name to my government, and whatever I put out in any way I had to live and die with. I couldn’t have my name out here visible to the world and be presenting some fake stuff to fit in or to get folks on board thinking my reality is different than it is. So we just decided to be us and whatever that causes it causes. We can live and die with our true reality even if people don’t get it, think we’re poor, country, ignorant or whatever. Maybe we are…so. Whatever we are in that video, that's us. I had to be okay with the world knowing that. I spent a lot of time in my life dealing with people rejecting my true reality as a human because it makes it easier to pigeonhole and control me, so this one and going forward we were like forget it.”
“Song wise, a lot of my writing process is really fluid and channeling based so I don’t always remember the process when it’s a great song. It feels like someone turned on the faucet and I’m trying to catch as much water as I can. When the music is right, the lyrics just start coming and I try to grab them out of the air and put them down. Normally if I spend too much time “trying to write”, there'll be too much flesh in the lyrics. Not enough inspiration if that makes sense. All of this album was spiritual in that way. I remember a lot of chopping the sample with C Major, like picking what parts then me sitting with the OG drum loop for like a week and deciding how I wanted the structure to go. It’s some head nods to 99 Problems and TI’s “What You Know” structurally but also a nod to what Griselda was doing around that time with the loops and the rapping on the 3rd verse.”
WHAT RESPONSE OR EMOTIONS ARE YOU HOPING "LIMELIGHT HONEY" EVOKES FROM LISTENERS AND VIEWERS? WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY?
“I want folks where I’m from to feel seen, to feel represented. I want people who rap here and those who don’t feel like they fit into the mainstream narrative of what it is to be a Memphian to feel like they can be themselves, and they don’t have to pretend to be hypebeasts or street individuals if they aren’t. Just be yourself. Live and die as you, and the rest will be figured out. I want folks to see it and for it to feel fun to them. Familiar, warm, and honest. Like a trip to your grandma's house.”
“If you ain't from here, I want you to see this is really this place, at least from my perspective. There are many, but this is mine, and it matters too. The people I highlighted in the video have stories too, and they matter even if folks want to only see us as one thing. Sorry, we’re humans too, not just your ideas of Memphis and the South. I want them to feel whatever people felt when Players Ball came out. I want them to feel a new energy rising out of the South. Something that’s been brewing for years now.”
AS AN ARTIST, WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO GO FROM HERE AFTER THIS CREATIVE MILESTONE OF 'LIMELIGHT HONEY'? WHAT FUTURE ARTISTIC GOALS OR STATEMENTS ARE YOU ASPIRING TO MAKE WITH YOUR UPCOMING WORK?
“This is just the start, but I want to take over the world. I want to go down as one of the greatest contributors to this art form ever. I have no intention of being underground, but I have no intention of being some fake glossy stuff either. I’m trying to carry forward a legacy of a 1000 artists from this place that brought us Blues, Jazz, Soul, revolutionized hip-hop, and gave us sounds the world borrows to this day. How can I not go after greatness? Forget sales, that is what it is. Music is probably going to be free soon, messing with these tech folks, but artistic greatness, respect for the craft, and honoring the music and artists before us. I want people to say my name with the best artists to ever come out of this place. I want to shake things up… period. Completely disrupt everything.”
As Matthews continues to shine, the accolade of being named TCC Entertainment's Artist of the Month for March stands as a testament to the rising star power he has created. And with his single "Limelight Honey," Matthews has crafted a deeply personal reflection on the triumphs and tribulations of chasing creative ambition - a universal experience that is sure to resonate with listeners. Through his raw honesty, the Memphis-based rapper has firmly established himself as one of the most compelling new voices in hip-hop. With his sights set on leaving a mark on the genre, there's no doubt Matthews is set to fulfill his ambition of becoming one of the all-time greats to emerge from his background. Keep a close eye on Lawrence Matthews, as his future promises to push the boundaries of contemporary hip-hop in thrilling new directions. Experience the artistry of "Limelight Honey" for yourself, and join the growing number praising Lawrence Matthews as the next great Memphis icon.
“Limelight Honey” by Lawrence Matthews is available on all streaming services. Check out the music video below!
