Matthew Santos
Encyclopedia
Matthew Santos is an American rock
and folk
singer-songwriter
, musician
and painter
. He is best known for his collaboration with Chicago native Lupe Fiasco
on the single "Superstar
." He was signed to Lupe Fiasco's 1st & 15th Entertainment record label, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records
.
. His mother, Judy, is from Denmark and his father, Dave, is of Filipino and Spanish
descent.
He graduated from Southwest High School
in Minneapolis. He moved to Chicago
in 2001 to study music composition at Columbia College Chicago
.
in November 2007 under indie-label Candyrat Records. Following the release of the album, he developed a following surrounding his video performances on YouTube
.
His five-piece band includes Aviva Jaye (vocals, keyboard), Robert Tucker (drums), Graham Burris (bass), and Matthew Nelson (keyboard).
In 2006, Santos was featured on Lupe Fiasco
's Food & Liquor
album on the song "American Terrorist." Santos was featured on three additional tracks on Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, released in December 2007; "Superstar
", "Streets On Fire", and "Fighters." Santos joined Fiasco on his world tour in 2008, including appearances on MTV
's TRL
and Spring Break, Jimmy Kimmel Live
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
and a debut talk show performance on David Letterman
's first live show after the 2007 Writer's Guild of America Strike.
In 2007, Santos opened the mtvU Woodie Awards with Lupe Fiasco
and performed at the 2008 mtv's Video Music Awards. In addition, Santos performed at Glastonbury Festival
, Bonnaroo Festival, the Las Vegas
Vegoose Music Festival
, Lollapalooza
Chicago
, South by Southwest
, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
, Summerfest
, and Chicago's Around the Coyote Arts Festival.
In 2009, Santos was featured in the single "Chaconne" by Twin Cities hip-hop artist Dessa
, a member of Doomtree
. That summer, he was also featured in Chicago magazine as one of the city's top singles.
In 2010, Santos released his newest album, "This Burning Ship of Fools."
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He is best known for his collaboration with Chicago native Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
on the single "Superstar
Superstar (Lupe Fiasco song)
"Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."...
." He was signed to Lupe Fiasco's 1st & 15th Entertainment record label, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
.
Early years
Matthew Santos was born on December 28, 1982 in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. His mother, Judy, is from Denmark and his father, Dave, is of Filipino and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent.
He graduated from Southwest High School
Southwest High School (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Southwest High School is a public high school in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota . It is part of the Minneapolis Public Schools. In 2010, Newsweek Magazine ranked the school #116 their "List of the 1,300 Top High Schools in America"...
in Minneapolis. He moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 2001 to study music composition at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
.
Music career
Santos released his album Matters of the BittersweetMatters of the Bittersweet
Matters of the Bittersweet is the first solo acoustic album by singer Matthew Santos. Released in November 2007 under Candy Rat Records, the album features addition of four songs where he is joined by band members Robert Tucker on 'Humming'burd' and Aviva Jaye on vocals and clarinet on three songs;...
in November 2007 under indie-label Candyrat Records. Following the release of the album, he developed a following surrounding his video performances on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
His five-piece band includes Aviva Jaye (vocals, keyboard), Robert Tucker (drums), Graham Burris (bass), and Matthew Nelson (keyboard).
In 2006, Santos was featured on Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
's Food & Liquor
Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, commonly referred to as Food & Liquor, is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig...
album on the song "American Terrorist." Santos was featured on three additional tracks on Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, released in December 2007; "Superstar
Superstar (Lupe Fiasco song)
"Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."...
", "Streets On Fire", and "Fighters." Santos joined Fiasco on his world tour in 2008, including appearances on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and Spring Break, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
and a debut talk show performance on David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
's first live show after the 2007 Writer's Guild of America Strike.
In 2007, Santos opened the mtvU Woodie Awards with Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
and performed at the 2008 mtv's Video Music Awards. In addition, Santos performed at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Bonnaroo Festival, the Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
Vegoose Music Festival
Vegoose
Vegoose was an annual Halloween music and arts festival that took place in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike the Bonnaroo Music Festival — put on by the same organizers, Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment — Vegoose does not offer on-site camping...
, Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
, Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
, and Chicago's Around the Coyote Arts Festival.
In 2009, Santos was featured in the single "Chaconne" by Twin Cities hip-hop artist Dessa
Dessa
Dessa is a spoken word artist, author, and MC from Minneapolis, MN. She is best known as a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective.-Education:...
, a member of Doomtree
Doomtree
Doomtree is a hip hop collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk, and their...
. That summer, he was also featured in Chicago magazine as one of the city's top singles.
In 2010, Santos released his newest album, "This Burning Ship of Fools."
As a Crow Flies
As a Crow Flies is Santos' first solo EP, released in 2006.| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | My Remedy |
| 2 | Fill My Cup |
| 3 | Shadows In a Shoebox |
| 4 | O' Montreal |
| 5 | Masquerade |
| 6 | Unnamable |
Matters of the Bittersweet
Matters of the Bittersweet is Santos' first solo album, released in November 2007 on Candyrat Records.| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shadows in a Shoebox |
| 2 | Uncertainties |
| 3 | Humming Bird |
| 4 | Love Sick Fool |
| 5 | Waiting for the Day |
| 6 | Daughter of the Sun |
| 7 | My Remedy |
| 8 | Old Man Winter |
| 9 | Unnameable |
| 10 | Drop a Coin |
| 11 | Lady Luna |
| 12 | Matters of the Bittersweet |
This Burning Ship of Fools
This Burning Ship of Fools is Santos' second solo album, released May 28, 2010 on Love Sick Fool Records.| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Daughter of the Sun |
| 2 | At My Table (ft. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews) |
| 3 | You Will Be Saved |
| 4 | Wide Eyed Firefly |
| 5 | The Good Life (ft. Rachele Eve) |
| 6 | Break Free |
| 7 | Day of Our Day Dreaming |
| 8 | Drop A Coin |
| 9 | Born To Do |
| 10 | Time Still |
| 11 | December's Ghost |
| 12 | Death, Sex and Regret |
| 13 | Days Like This |
Featured singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK R&B UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
|||
| 2007 | "Superstar Superstar (Lupe Fiasco song) "Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."... " (Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... featuring Matthew Santos) |
10 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 1 | Lupe Fiasco's the Cool Lupe Fiasco's The Cool Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, commonly referred to as simply The Cool, is the second studio album by Chicago hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco, released on December 18, 2007 in the United States. The Cool is a loose concept album, based on a song and its titular character from his debut album Food & Liquor... |
| 2009 | "Shining Down Shining Down "Shining Down" is a song by Lupe Fiasco. It was intended to be the first single of Everywhere, the first of three CDs of Lupe Fiasco's triple album, Lupe Fiasco's LupE.N.D., but because of its release being withheld, there was speculation circulating that it may be the first single of his third... " (Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos) |
93 | Lasers Lasers (album) Lasers is the third studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on 8 March 2011 by Atlantic Records in the United States. Production for the album took place between 2008 and 2010. Lasers features production by The Audibles, The Neptunes, Needlz, Alex da Kid, Syience, and long-time... |
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "American Terrorist" | Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... |
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor |
| 2007 | "Superstar Superstar (Lupe Fiasco song) "Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."... " |
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool Lupe Fiasco's The Cool Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, commonly referred to as simply The Cool, is the second studio album by Chicago hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco, released on December 18, 2007 in the United States. The Cool is a loose concept album, based on a song and its titular character from his debut album Food & Liquor... |
|
| "Fighters" | |||
| "Streets On Fire" | |||
| 2009 | "Shining Down Shining Down "Shining Down" is a song by Lupe Fiasco. It was intended to be the first single of Everywhere, the first of three CDs of Lupe Fiasco's triple album, Lupe Fiasco's LupE.N.D., but because of its release being withheld, there was speculation circulating that it may be the first single of his third... " |
Lasers Lasers (album) Lasers is the third studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on 8 March 2011 by Atlantic Records in the United States. Production for the album took place between 2008 and 2010. Lasers features production by The Audibles, The Neptunes, Needlz, Alex da Kid, Syience, and long-time... |
|
| 2010 | "The Chaconne" | Dessa Dessa Dessa is a spoken word artist, author, and MC from Minneapolis, MN. She is best known as a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective.-Education:... |
A Badly Broken Code A Badly Broken Code A Badly Broken Code is the debut LP album by rapper/singer/poet Dessa, a member of the Doomtree collective. The album's title comes from a line in the poem "Nostalgia" by American poet Billy Collins.- Reception :... |