According to Matt B, the music video is an ode to Black excellence.
By Hope Ibiale
Grammy-nominated artiste, Matt B, has released a new music video for his record “Shining”, a song from his album, Alkebulan.
According to the artiste, the music video is an ode to Black excellence. The video, directed by PhillyFlyBoy and manager and producer, Angela Benson, features African-inspired fashion and dancers, highlighting the personality and presence of all those involved while also honoring their ancestors.
While speaking about the song, Matt B said, “When I created ‘Shining’, I wanted to write something that would speak to the strength of our people and really empower us at our core”. He continued, “When I was scrolling through Instagram a few years ago, I stumbled across an interview with Little Richard. In that interview, he said, ‘They don’t like to dress like I do, I like to put it on. I love to put it on, I like to shine.’ When I heard him say that, it’s like a little lightbulb went off. What he said not only resonated with me as a person and artist, but we as Black people truly have our own unique style and aura. We inspire and push the culture forward in many ways, and I thought it would be really dope to create a record around that. I wanted it to feel almost like an anthem or a mantra”.
After releasing his album, Eden, in 2021, Matt B followed the project with Alkebulan. The 10-track project features tracks like “Shayo,” “Gunjale,” “Freedom,” the Grammy-nominated “Gimme Love”, and many others.
Since its release, Alkebulan debuted on several music charts like the Top New Artiste Albums charts, the Top Albums charts, the Top Current Album Sales charts, and the Digital Albums music charts. “Gimme Love” also landed on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs Charts. Matt B was recently named Artist of the Year by The Los Angeles Tribune in addition to earning a Hollywood Music In Media award for Best Music Video (Independent) with his track “Gunjale” featuring Ugaboys.