Matt B: Southern Soul, Trail-Ride Anthems & the Story Behind “Stepping Boots”

From grandma Beatrice to radio spins—finding a unique voice, stage confidence, kids’ books, and a new film role.

Southern soul/country-soul artist Matt B sits down with BeatsToRapOn to trace the roots of his sound: living-room sing-alongs with grandma Beatrice (the “B” in his name), choir and church training, and that first studio session at 21. He breaks down the grind of staying consistent, turning nerves into performance energy, and crafting records that move dance floors and trail rides alike.

We dive into song stories for “Stepping Boots,” “Step My Way,” “Friday Weekend Joy,” and the slow-burn favorite “Don’t Want to Leave.” Plus: the “Hello, I’m Matt B” coloring book for kids, an upcoming “Step My Way” book, and a new indie film.

YouTube Interview: https://youtu.be/VlvNqBanr3A?si=CtZuDNzSHcz8wsOY

Show Notes / Links
• Matt B BIO & Profile: https://beatstorapon.com/artist/matt-b
• Follow: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mattbthesinger/
• Coloring Book: “Hello, I’m Matt B” Coloring Book (search)
• BeatsToRapOn (site + tools): https://beatstorapon.com

Chapters (HH:MM:SS – edit after final cut)
00:00 Intro
00:43 Origins & the Beatrice story
02:10 Choir, church, first studio session
05:15 Finding a unique sound
07:05 Advice for new artists: stay consistent
09:00 First show nerves → crowd reaction
12:05 “Hello, I’m Matt B” intro track
13:20 Song stories (“Stepping Boots,” “Step My Way,” “Friday Weekend Joy,” “Don’t Want to Leave”)
20:10 Kids’ books + holiday drops
22:30 New film role
24:10 Where to find Matt B

We’re building the future—empowering every artist and creator with the tools, beats, and network to share their voice, connect boldly, and leave a mark on the world. 🔗 Visit us at https://beatstorapon.com.

Keep creating. Keep sharing. Keep rising.

Transcript

0:03

All right. Welcome back to the, uh, beats a rap on podcast. We've got a very special guest today. We've got Matt B, Matt B in the studio. How are you doing? I'm doing good, man. How about you, man? That's good. Yeah, pretty good. It's been a bit wild these days. Oh yeah. Yeah. Uh, things are a bit wild, huh? So, um, look, look, we're, we're super stoked to have you in the studio today. You know, it's a real blessing to have you on board. You're, you're, you're pumping out some massive tunes. We're loving some of the rhythm and the rhymes you're pumping out, some of the beats and, you know, thanks so much for coming on and let's, let's kick off. Maybe we'll ask you a couple of things, let the fans get to know you a bit. So yeah. Um, where did it all start for you? Take us, take us all the way back to, uh, where this all started for you. Oh man. I was probably, probably eight years old, man. Just singing in the, in the living room with my grandma, man. Uh, uh, watching the movie called the temptations. And it was a kind of musical movie and I just learned every song in the movie, man. And just started saying it from there, man. And just kept it going. Tell us about that. So what, what, so when, when you're in the lounge room and stuff, did you just one day kind of get up and was it like an emotion that came out and you just got up and started cranking it out or like putting it down? It was just, man, my grandma watched that movie so many times. So, you know, when you watch it so many times, man, you can't do nothing but just sing it. So then try to learn the dance moves and all that stuff. So all that stuff just played along in it, man, to play my role. And, uh, it really, it really just finding out I really could sing, you know, so that was the, uh, the blessing that we got out of it. And so what, what did you do after, what was your journey after that? I kind of really didn't, uh, take it serious then, but then I got into middle school and I, uh, I joined the choir, the chorus team, um, at tryouts and I actually made the team. I was shocked then too. And, uh, yeah, but then once I, once I got in high school, that's when I started taking it a little more serious, you know, cause people said, man, you really can sing for real though. You know what I'm saying? Train me up, show me how to do it. You know, I don't know. I just, it was just natural. You know, then, uh, then that's when I started getting, getting in the studio at the age of 21 and I did my first song and man, it was phenomenal. Tell us about that experience. Like, um, first time being in the studio was, uh, was a little nerve wracking cause I, you know, I never been in that type of building before and closed doors and big microphone, you know what I'm saying? Knowing when to sing, when to tell you to, you know, I didn't, I didn't know none of that stuff. And that was, it was a whole learning experience, uh, being in the studio and seeing how artists record music. And it was okay to mess up. I was upset cause I messed up a few times and they were like, it's okay. Just do it over. I didn't know, you know, you know, I'm like, man, I might have to come back tomorrow and do another, no, you're not coming back tomorrow. You're going to finish it today. You know what I'm saying? But, uh, it was, it was an experience to learn, you know, every, uh, pinpoint in the, in the studio and all the P's and Q's and, and, uh, like I say, I, I live in a studio now, so, you know, I love it. You know, it's, it's, it's natural for me now. Yeah. What was the thing you liked the best? Uh, just watching the artists on, on TV, you know, going to studios and, and the studio kind of looks similar to the ones they walk in and I'm like, man, this is, this is what it's all about, you know? This is where they record their magic, you know, and, and I'm just, uh, I was happy to be a part of that, that type of environment and, um, to show my skills and my singing, um, skills as well to the world. Like, how did you, how did you even find, uh, I mean, there's so many folks out there that are just starting. How did you even find people in, you know, that had a studio or even to get into the studio? What, what were things you did? Oh, it was actually my cousin, man. He was a rapper, so he wanted me to sing on his, uh, his song, um, behind him. And, uh, I got off of work and he was like, man, I need you to come to the studio. I'm like, what? Why me? I'm, you know, then, uh, I got in the studio and, um, we laid the song down and everything came out beautiful. And, um, I just kept staying in the studio after that, you know, and I kept wanting to do my own thing. It's like I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving, baby. Yeah, yeah. I didn't have any, I didn't have any music on my own out then, you know, so I was just like doing features. Okay. After, after doing that one piece that made me want to get in the studio and write my own music and that made me, uh, stay in there and stay consistent. Yeah. So I want to dig into that a little bit more, you know, um, tell us, you know, it'd be, it'd be awesome for you to share, you know, what drives you, you know, what are, what are the key things that drive you, like who inspired you? Let's start there actually, you know, like who was the best inspiration for you, um, getting into this whole thing? Oh, my grandma, man. You know, she, she passed away a few years back, man. So, you know, once, once she passed away, yeah, thank you, man. But once she, once she passed away, you know, before she passed away, she was like, uh, I kind of stopped doing music at the time, you know, just life situations, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. She was like, well, she was like, why are you not doing music anymore? I really couldn't even give her an answer, you know, you know what I'm saying? And then she was sick then, so, you know, I was kind of depressed about that, her being sick and when she passed away, that took everything out of me. So that made me really get back into music and that's what the B stands for, my name, Matt B, her name was Beatrice. So I added her name to my singing name. So the B stands for my grandma name. That is so cool. So I was going to ask you to unpack the Matt B and where, where that all came from, but that's, uh, that's, that's so beautiful. My name is Matt and I added my grandma, you know, first name is B. Oh man. That is so pretty. Yeah. That is so lovely. Um, yeah. So, and what about, um, you know, was there other inspiration? Like musicians, um, or people who helped shape you in your early days and help shape some of your sounds? Um, my, like I said, my cousin that got me in the studio, Cadence, some of my, my, uh, my manager and just watching all, uh, all of my favorite artists, you know, learning from them, like Drew Hill, Suhr, uh, uh, R Kelly, you know, Zayn, you know, and the list goes on and on, you know, I learned from those guys just by listening to their music over and over, you know, and try to create my own style when I, when it's time for me to do music until, until, still to this day, I still do that, you know what I'm saying, that's how I come up with my records, you know, How do you do that? Like so many people get locked into kind of like copying or almost copying other people's styles because they think, well, a lot of people think if I can be like them, then I might be big too, but it's not like that. You got to create your own unique sounds, you know, like how did you, or when did you start creating your own unique sounds? It actually starts naturally, but it's the, the perfecting it is what takes time, perfecting your craft takes time, you know what I'm saying, your uniqueness and your style, so it took me a couple of years to, a few years to get, you know, to perfect my craft, you know, I had to do it every day, learn, be myself, you know, nobody else and, and everybody to this day said, man, you're different. And I love that feedback. I love it. They said, man, you sound different, man. You got your own style. That's the big accomplishment you can never get. Yeah. If you're going to give any kind of advice to, um, young and up and coming artists, um, in that respect, what would it be? Oh man, just stay humble, you know, stand your ground, work hard, stay consistent. That is the key. Stay consistent, man. You don't want to let your fire go out. You got to keep it hot. You know what I'm saying? It's hard starting back, starting back from cold, you know what I'm saying? So yeah, just stay, just stay humble and stay consistent. Yeah. Yeah. When you say consistent, like, can you unpack that a little bit more for the, for the, for the newbies out there? Don't stop and don't take long breaks. You know, if you got a project you're working on, finish it and get on to the next. Tell us what it feels like the first time you went on stage. Make us feel how you felt. Oh yeah. I was, I was nervous. Stomach was hurting, man. I, oh man, I, I didn't want to go, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Cause when you're a new artist, man, a lot of people not really going to pay attention to you. So that made me a little comfortable cause everybody kind of had their backs turned, they was drinking at the bar, you know what I'm saying? I was like, okay, well. And when I started singing, that's when they started to spin their chairs around. I was like, oh man, now they got eyes on me. You know, so I think I'm doing something right. Being a new artist, you know, first time performing, you know, you know, but, uh, I gotta, I got, every time I perform, I get good reactions, you know, people come up to me, man, you sound good, man. You know, I could tell you need work, but you know, just stay consistent and stay at it, man, don't give up. You know? And, and that's what I did. That's what I did to this day. What was it like, like, tell us a bit more about that. So, you know, you were, you're walking upstairs and when you saw the, all the people out there, did you like kind of shit yourself a bit and then go, oh shit. Like what, what was going through your, like what was going for your mind? Walk us through that. Uh, that's the intimidating part, man. When you walk on that stage and see people, you know, ready to see what you got and it almost makes you want to, want to quit sometime, you know what I'm saying? First time. So I, I definitely felt like, you know, just like, damn, is this really what I want to do? You know? So, um, yeah, man, that was, that was a hard feeling. You try to get over that, that gut feeling. But once you, once you start to sing and you know, you can sing and you build your confidence up, man, you're, you're good. It, it, nothing else matters. At that time I was not there. I was like, man, I'm worried about hitting the wrong note, a bad note. My throat is dry, but your throat get dry when you're so nervous, man. I'm like, I need water. I done drunk two bottles of water. Yeah. So, you know, but, uh, once you, once you get that confidence in yourself, man, nothing else matters, you just go out and do it. Do you have like a little kind of ritual you do before you go out there? Uh, that started, uh, probably about two, about two, three, two, two, three months ago, man, uh, I was just in the studio and my, uh, my engineer played the beat, man, and he was like, man, this need to be like a, an intro song, you know, hello, I'm Matt B. Just tell them who you are, you know, what you do. You know what I'm saying? Who are you as a person? You know what I'm saying? They know you as an artist, but let you, let them know you really from, from the country, you know, and, and, and wear those cowboy boots, you know what I'm saying, you know, tell them what you'd like to do for fun, you know, it was just a fun song to do and everybody loved it, you know, and it's, it's very catchy, you know what I'm saying? And it gets stuck in your head, you know, you know, what my next question is going to be. Let's hear it. I know, like just to all the listeners, I just wasn't pre-prepared. So I kind of dropped him on, dropped him in on this one. Yeah. Uh, can you sing a little bit of it for us? Is that, oh yeah, it's just very simple. I'm the one they turn on when they want to party. Say hello. I'm Matt D. You know, just like, you know, just talking to you. That's that shit. That's good. Yeah. You know, just something simple, man. Simple and fun. That's like, that's like silk. That is, that is super good. Oh man. That was awesome. What's, what, what sort of beats do you put underneath that when, when you're, when you're, when you do that? The beats. Yeah. What, what, what, what do you just do that acapella or? No, no, no. I got a, I got a, it's like a Southern soul blues beat underneath, like a, a foreign country, a country beat, man. Just all, all types of instruments in it, man. Just, it fills the song up. Yeah. It's going to make you, it's going to make you dance and bob your head when you hear it, you know? Did you do any like classical training at all on, on, were you, were you classically trained? Did you get into that at all? Or did you just stay mostly on the electronic tools and things like that? No, I actually took vocal lessons too, just singing with older people and singing in the church and they're like, no, that's not your key. No, no, that's not you. No, I had to learn all of that cause I, they did not know I could sing all, um, like soprano and tenor and they didn't know I could sing all that alto until they really, until they really heard me singing. They're like, oh, so you're versatile. You can sing pretty much any range. They didn't know that, you know what I'm saying? I was trying to tell them that, but I didn't know that either. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So, yeah, so it's good to know how to, you know, you can sing low and have that control of your vocal. Yeah. Yeah. And what, what about some of the percussion and rhythm, you know, and some of your cadence? Let's talk a little bit about that when you're in the studio, you know, like what are the tools, what are your favorite tools you use? What's your kind of cadence? How do you kind of, you know, approach, you know, rhythm and percussion? Oh, it all depends on, on, like I bring a good vibe to the table, man. So when I'm in the studio, I'm, I'm, uh, I'm locked in and ready. Once you play the beat, you know what I'm saying? I'll just take my time and I'll just go in there and just, I'll do a freestyle. I'll come out, you know, listen to it probably 50 times. Okay, I'm done. Let's go. Let's cut, cut all that out. I got the song now, you know what I'm saying? So it's just, just studying, just studying yourself. You start doing my homework. And when thinking about that and listening to things and starting to peck, peck beats and sounds and stuff like that, um, you know, you've, you've released a few, uh, pretty fat tracks, um, and they're starting to pop. So you've got like stepping boots, um, step my way. You've also got, uh, Friday weekend joint and, uh, don't want to leave, which, uh, which you're just popping all over the place. Um, lots of vibe and hype around that. Can you tell us a little bit more, like, let's talk about each one. Let's talk about each one. Let's start with stepping boots. Um, how did it start? How'd you write it? And, um, yeah, I wrote that song at work. Hey, I'm just sitting, I'm just sitting at the desk, man. And I'm just thinking of something crazy. And I'm like, man, I need something catchy, man. It's something everybody going to just love to hear when they come on the radio. And, uh, I started to walk around my area and then, uh, then the song just really came to me. And that's, that's how I really wrote the song at work. 12 hour shifts, you know, where that's pretty much where I write all my music, man, at work, man, you know, honestly, just being there so long, you know, 12 hours and you got so much to do. So you're walking around, you're getting those, um, those juices going, right. The creative juices going and you're penning it down. Um, and then like, what'd you do? Did you go to your home studio? Did you go to a different studio? Was there a release around it? Tell us a bit more about, you know, stepping boots. I went to, I actually was, I went to a new studio to record this song. And it was crazy cause my, I lost my voice the first time I recorded the song. And I was so, and I was trying to get the song done because I had a competition that I wanted to join in March. So I was doing the song, recording the song in February and I didn't get my voice back until like three weeks. So, and I, and I actually, my voice wasn't even a hundred percent when I finished recording the song. I was at like 75% and the song still came out beautiful. So, it had to be, and I was like, man, this was, that was crazy. Like I was so mad, man. I was ready to get the song done. And I drank so much tea, lemon, and it just wasn't talking to people. No talk. Yeah. But at the end of the day, I had to rest my vocals and that was the whole key, resting it. But it sounds like that's a bit of divine intervention there, helping you stepping in. Yeah. Yeah. Helping you across that. What about Step My Way? So what, what's Step My Way about? Like what, what's the main kind of theme about in Step My Way? Oh, Step My Way is just stepping my way to the trail riding. Know what I'm saying? Just learning how to step, dance. Oh, just bring something good behind the table, right behind stepping boots. Stepping boots is fun. Step My Way is fun. The Friday Weekend Joy is fun. Uh, Hello I'm at B is fun. And Don't Want to Leave is a slow song. To wind you down. Everybody tired, knees hurting. You know, it was time to wind you down with Don't Want to Leave. But Step My Way is that, that, that next energy song that's going to burn you out. Yeah. You're going to need a drink after that one. Uh, to all the listeners, um, all of the, all of the links are going to be in the comments. So smash one of those links and make sure you get on and listen to it. Tell us about Friday Weekend Joy. Were you like, I don't know. Tell us all about that. Uh, I mean, every, everybody loves Fridays, man. You love the weekend. And it was just a, I was like, man, I love Friday so much in the weekend. I need to do a Friday Weekend Joy song. So I love, that's one of my favorites, man. Cause everybody knows how to do the electric slide and they do, they do, they do the electric slide and that one to come on. So that's, that's a fun, that's a fun one. Yeah. Wow. That's impressive. That is super cool. Have you ever been, you know, it's, have you ever been somewhere where it's come on and you've also been doing the slide? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Plenty of time, but it doesn't matter. They know it's me. They're going to get up and still do it again. That's so good. Yeah. How's it, how's it feel like, tell us, tell the listeners, how does it, how does it feel like when you're, when you're out and about, or you're, you're on the radio, you know, you're listening to radio, sorry, or anything like that. And you hear one of these tunes come on. Oh, it's crazy. I mean, my phone is blowing up like crazy once it hit the radio, you know, cause I, I always miss it. You know what I'm saying? So everybody recorded and they sent me the video. And it was about the time I turned it on going off. I done missed everything, you know what I'm saying? Cause I'm at work, I'm at work and everybody's trying to blow my phone up. And you know what I'm saying? But you know, everybody always sent me the footage every time it hit the radio, but I, I always miss it though. I probably caught it. I don't even know. I never caught it on the radio. So don't want to leave. It mentions, you know, it's a bit more of a slow song. Um, you know, it generates a different type of emotion. Tell us kind of what, what motivated you to create it and what's it, what it's about. Oh, I actually wrote the song, you know, you know, for the wifey, you know what I'm saying? Uh, just letting her know, you're like, you know, this is what you get when you with me, you know what I'm saying? A real, a real country man, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna show you different things. You know what I'm saying? Just, you know, stepping outside the box and everybody loves that song too. You know, it's probably one of my, my number one bangers right there. Cause it's, it's slow and everybody just loves when I sing it. You know what I'm saying? Cause I, I really break it down, you know. Can you give us a little bit, can you give the listeners a little bit, yeah, just a little bit, maybe, maybe the chorus or something. Here you go. You don't want to leave when you get some of me, baby. Cause everything you need is right here. You don't want to leave. When you get some of me, baby. There's everything you need is right here. No, there's something simple like that. You know, then fuck man, that is some hot shit. That is really good. Just for the listeners, I was just closing my eyes, just focusing on the, on the voice and the song and the tone and the, and I mean, yeah, just hit rewind, listen to it again, all those links to his tune. So just going to be in the comments as well. That was, that was epic. More people have to know about that. Yeah, man. That's, that's, that's the love song for the world right there, man. Get it out there. The world needs it right now. It's in fucking chaos. Oh, that's awesome. And you know, you got your man of special talents, right? So you just don't record, you're not just a vocalist, you're not just a, you know, um, producer, you're not just a great dad or, or, and a great husband. You also have other creativity that you do, which is, you know, arts and crafts. And I think one of the things we were talking about that you just released was, you know, a really, really cool coloring book that, um, you know, your kids are using, you know, heaps, your friends are using as well. Um, yeah, that's, it seems to be popping. Um, kids are dry, you know, drawn to it. Can you tell us a little bit about it? And like, what made you create it? Coming up with the book, me and my, my team, my label team, uh, you know, um, we just thought outside the box, man. They, they love to come to my house and they, and my, all my kids, they know my song, Heart by Heart. Word for word. So they're like, man, that's dope, man. We need to do something for the kids, man. I don't know what it is yet. So we thought about it and we came up with the coloring book. We got, actually got three books, but we only came up with the coloring book first. Uh, and that, that's doing really, uh, really well. And we got another book. It's going to be the Step My Way book for the song. All right. Yeah. Well, you know, it's, it's basically just bringing all races together, man. You know, black or white, don't matter what color you are. We're just bringing everybody together as friends and going to the prayer ride, you know, just having a good time with Matt B. Matt B is for the people. I'm for the people. Lovely. That's beautiful, man. Like bringing all these great cultures together, you know, is something that makes us so fucking special where we can do that, you know? And there's like so much richness and diversity you get when you do that, you know, it's, um, yeah, that's brilliant. And you mentioned, um, free books. I think you said a few books. What was there another one that you were going to bring out as well? And when does, when did the books drop and how do people find them? I'll be dropping the Step My Way book on Thanksgiving. I want to say Thanksgiving. Yeah. And then the next book, I'll probably drop around, drop around Christmas, Christmas, even Christmas. I haven't come over today yet, but it'd be around Christmas time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. And where, and where can they find, um, cool under your name? Is it under Matt B or? Just type in, hello, I'm Matt B, colouring a book and it should come up. Yeah. Awesome. So that's it. All the, all the listeners out there, you know, Christmas is coming up, right? And if you've got kids, you know, hit them up. Cause, um, you know, kids love that stuff. They're always doing arts and crafts and, um, it sounds like this colouring book's popping, I'm going to go buy one myself straight after this. I appreciate that. Yeah, absolutely. So what else, what else, Matt, you know, is there any other tunes that you've got coming out? Do you have any Christmas songs coming out? You know, do you have any Christmas, um, anything else? Everybody wants me to do a Christmas song. So I'm, I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it. Um, sometime next week, I'm actually start, I'm shooting a movie, uh, this Saturday, so I'm going to be a star character in that movie, so that's going to be, uh, I'm very, very excited about that, man. That is so cool. Tell us about the movie. Man, booking busy. It's basically about my life. I just got out of jail and I'm just walking down the road and I'm gonna start working on this farm or whatever. And then I'm gonna be humming, I'm gonna be humming the song and, but I'm never going to get it, stepping boots. You know what I'm saying? Until the end of the movie. No, I'm just going to be going through a lot of stuff, you know, working and trying to get home. I'd never make it home until the end of the movie. Cause I ain't had no money to get there. You know, I'm walking, I'm catching rides on the side of the road, but I'm scared. You know, it's crazy. Yeah. Um, still don't have all the details, but you know, we're going to, we're going to, so Matt, um, we're just coming almost to the end of the podcast. Um, we've absolutely loved having you on. Um, before we go, what I want to do is just, you know, give you opportunity just to let all the listeners know exactly how to find you, where to find you, um, if they want to hit you up to maybe do a collab, how did they do that? Tell us all about that. Uh, my IG, my Instagram is a Matt beat a singer. Um, you can hit me up on that or Facebook, uh, Matthew Williams, uh, my Instagram and Facebook tiny to each other. Uh, you would know it's me. You'll see my pictures in my, my books and everything. So just hit me up. Feel free to inbox me. Um, my music is on all platforms, Apple, Spotify, um, all major platforms. Just typing hello, I'm Matt B and all my songs will come up. Love that. So Matt, thanks so much for coming on the beats to rap on podcasts, all the listeners, everything will be in the description below, you'll also be able to see him on the homepage of the beats to rap on website with his profile there. And that will link out also to all of these great bits of work that he's done over the years. Matt B thanks once again, and we'll catch you on the next one. Thank you, man. Thank you, man. Appreciate it.