DJ COMMUNITY

Introducing Matthew L. Farris

What is your name and what city do you rep?

My name is Matthew L. Farris, with the pseudonym “MFSe7en”, and I’m from a suburb about 15 minutes away from the Southside of Chicago. I have released music under the alias “James Doe” previously as well, but I found it best to just brand myself, as who I've been since birth, and incorporate all of my endeavors under one name (blogs, mixing/engineering, independent film acting, etc).

Tell us about your latest releases, what inspired you to create them?

I had a goal at the tail end of 2019; Release 5-7 QUALITY albums over the course of 2020 and market each one heavily, as a way to not only make up for a long hiatus but also to give the listeners some insight as to who I am as an individual, no bravado or masks on.

I had a release back in January, “Heaven’s Behind the Clout”, but on March 7th "My Tell-Tale Heart EP" is releasing everywhere and in May I'm releasing my "Swords of Truth" EP, which is rather significant to me. While they're both deeply personal, the former is more raw and aggressive still while the latter is a little softer around the edges, a nice mix of melody and lyrics, and it's also a "cleaner" record. That was done in an attempt to make sure I don't alienate people with my naturally crude humor and trucker mouth. It's really meant to touch on who I've become and what I stand for. I want to reach the people who need to be reached, to help them get through something the way my favorite artists have helped me through tough times

What is unique about you and your music?

I find that there's so little originality nowadays that it's hard to say what is "unique" about myself. I just have had so many different influences that now, as I've matured, I can see how each one has crept into my sound. If there's anything that really stands out, it would be the deeply rooted personal issues I write about, but I try to make them easy to relate to for anyone struggling. I appreciate hip-hop lyricism, but I also grew up on R&B and even some acoustic singer/songwriter stuff, so I try to incorporate that as much as possible. I don't really make "rap" music anymore; I create what I call Adult-Contemporary Hip-Hop

What shaped your music?

In one word......Pain. To expand, the pain and struggles of life combined with growth, maturity, and the willingness to put it all on record in the hope that it can truly connect with someone.

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

I realized in High School that this was something I loved to do, I started writing in like 6th or 7th grade....it was after I graduated, working odd jobs, that I realized I can't really be truly satisfied in life if I don't do this, ya know?

What type of music do you listen to?

I still follow a lot of the same artists who inspired me growing up. I listen to a lot of Atmosphere, I love Royce Da 5'9 and his last couple projects. I think Griselda is dope......but I haven't found anybody in this new wave of hip-hop that I can relate to, who I feel is speaking on things that really need to be talked about. I'm hoping to create the art that can fill that void for others. Sometimes I find myself scrolling through random artists from other genres either for different inspiration or just because I'm so tired of the negativity that this genre I love so much perpetuates.

What inspires you to write music?

The people who need it are the biggest source of inspiration. Otherwise, my family, my faith, and my own need to create for therapeutic purposes. And there’s something deep inside of me that I can't quite explain, but it's almost as necessary for me to write music as it is for me to eat dinner and drink water every day. It’s a natural part of my life.

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?

I write a couple blogs and articles for sites like Elite Daily and Thought Catalog, usually satirical with a sense of seriousness. The topics can range from how fun it was to party (I don't drink anymore), heartbreak, love, the approach to dating, etc. It's a nice outlet that seems to get decent feedback from readers. Other than that, I'm a huge fan of movies; I play basketball, box, and workout on a very regular basis. I also, of course, love to spend time with my family. My son is 2 and a half and he's just wild, so it's a crazy time right now.

Happiness to you is…

Feeling fulfilled. Knowing that you're doing what you were meant to do, doing it the best you can, and helping people in the process.

What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?

You're going to get hurt. You're going to get rejected. You’re going to lose more money than you can count. You're going to get booed. You're going to make bad songs. You may struggle for YEARS.

I mean, I still am. However, when even one person tells you that your music helped them get through something, it makes every little sacrifice well worth it, ten times over.

Tell us about your upcoming projects...

I touched on the "My Tell-Tale Heart EP" and the "Swords of Truth EP" above; They're both slated for release soon. "Swords of Truth" is one that I'm excited to get the finishing touches on. The album came so naturally, and I didn't outsource anything for it. No features, no outside mixing, the only thing I didn't do was create the beats. It's personal, it's got something for everybody, and it doesn't even have any profanity on it (wasn't even intentional at first, then it became a personal goal). I'm also finishing up the summer release, "Make-Shift Apostle", which is a little more aggressive but still incorporates all of the elements of my sound. It really has a message though, hence the title. I feel like I need to almost preach about things, try to get a point across. Even the first single, High LI(f)E, is about how drugs had me so disillusioned that I was never truly at a lower point than when I was getting messed up daily on whatever I could get. Pills, booze, coke, etc. I don't count weed in that mix though, it's medicine, but everything else I kind of speak out against nowadays. Not every rapper, and certainly not any kid, should be out there bragging about sippin' lean.

Where do we find you music / music projects?

Everywhere nowadays. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube - @MatthewLFarris. My artist page for FB is

www.facebook.com/MFSe7en1. ;

For all major streaming platforms, this link will take you to your preferred listening source. -

https://songwhip.com/artist/matthew-l-farris

And for all supporters who want to get access to unreleased music, VIP Tickets, Free merch giveaways, mixing tutorials, behind the scenes video, personal shout outs/tags, and more.....there's my recently created Patreon site for the fans –

www.Patreon.com/MLFMusic

I really just want to connect with listeners in a different way. A lot of artists want to reach into a listener's wallet first. I want to reach their spirit first. We're just built different....

Any last words for the readers?

In today's day and age, there's so much you could listen to, that I appreciate every single one of you who listens to me. I really hope something I write can connect with you, can maybe help you through something, can help you understand that you're not alone in the darkness. That's one of the main reasons I write how I write. And please, feel free to contact me. I thoroughly enjoy interacting with listeners, fans, and just people in general.

I’m versatile, so there will be something for everyone coming out this year.