Matthew Morris, famously known as MattyB or MattyBRaps, is a Georgia native that rose to fame back in 2010 at the age of 7. He first became interested in music at the age of 5. His cousin Mars (Charles Manning) helped him write a rap and make a video. The first video they created, "Eenie Meenie," gained over 500,000 views and made the front page. Matthew kept the momentum going and became an internet sensation by remixing popular music on YouTube. He’s covered hits by stars such as Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and more. In August 2014, his channel surpassed 1 billion views. He currently has 14.7 million subscribers on YouTube.

How did you get the name “MattyBRaps”? 

Whenever I was little, I had the nickname "MattyB" with all my brothers.   When we started my Youtube channel, we decided to use my nickname "MattyB," and we added raps because I wanted to be a rapper. 

When did you become interested in music?  

My big brother loved music and was actually on American Idol.  I would always hang out in our basement studio making music, and that is when I really got interested in making my own music at 7 years old. 

Do you still create covers & remixes? If not, would you consider doing it in the future?  

I do not create covers or remixes any longer.  Making covers was really fun for me as a kid, but for the last 5 + years, I have been focusing on making original music.  As far as doing some in the future, I think it would be cool to work with other artists and make remixes to their or my songs. 

How did the idea to start making YouTube videos come about?  

As I watched my big brother make music, I begged him more and more to let me make a song.  He eventually gave in and let me make a song and video, and that's when we decided to post it to Youtube.

Were you always an entertainer, or did it evolve as your channel got more popular?   

Looking back, I think it was definitely something I was born with, but at the same time I was so young and it just seemed like a fun thing to try.  I believe I really grew as an entertainer when I started doing concerts and performing.  

What made you want to go to college & what are you majoring in? 

I really wanted to go to college to learn more about business.  I have learned so much about the creative side and continue learning in that, but I also want to be well-rounded and learn how to succeed in business as an entrepreneur.

What advice do you have for people who are trying to gain a following on social media?  

Be original and genuine.  I think people want to relate to someone they feel is real.  Make content that shows who you are and what you think is funny or meaningful, and let the audience connect to that content.

What are some hobbies or things you like to do outside of creating content and making music?  

I love to weightlift and work out with my friends.  I also enjoy skateboarding, and I recently started to learn to wakeboard.   I don't play team sports competitively the way I did in high school, but I still enjoy that recreationally.

How would you say social media fame has impacted your life?  

I don't think it has affected me as much as some might think.  While I have had to deal with certain things that other young kids may not, I was still able to go to school normally, play sports, and hang out with friends my whole childhood.  

Where do you envision yourself/your channel in the coming years?  

I want to continue to make music and also content that makes people laugh and feel emotion.  I would love to be someone my generation can continue to trust and follow, and I would hope I can create content that impacts their lives in a positive way and be a positive role model.  I expanded and launched a new Tiktok channel last month  @iam_mattmorris   and this month, I uploaded my first podcast on Spotify entitled "The Matthew Morris Show."

 http://thematthewmorrisshow.com

Please let me know if there is anything else that you all would like to share! 

I would like to thank Empower Atlanta for giving me the opportunity to share.

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