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MattyB said, “I kept following Mars around and watching him rap…I begged him to help me make a YouTube video and he said, “If we’re gonna do this we’re gonna do it right.” That is when they made the Justin Bieber cover of ‘Eenie Meenie’ which generated nearly a million views in one week. MattyB’s father, Blake Morris told Mars, “I think we have something here – this is not normal!” At that point, Mars decided to lay down his dreams in order to help his young cousin, and the family knew they were in for a wild ride! MattyB with Mom & Dad, Morris said, “YouTube has provided a platform for Matt to allow Blake and fans to discover his music as he discovers it at an organic level, so Tawny Morris they are a part of his ongoing success. It allows him to mobilize them to come to his concerts, to share his concerts and to give fans an in-depth look into his life.” MattyB wants to be reachable to his fans and he wants them to be able to relate to him on a personal level. While many artists are trying to fit the pop-star mold, MattyB is just trying to be himself. He works with Mars to recreate popular hip-hop singles with G-rated lyrics, as well as co-write original pieces. Although MattyB’s first video was a Justin Bieber cover (produced when he was just seven years old), he does not like being called a “Mini-Bieber” as many have called him in the past. “I like Eminem,” he said, “but only the clean versions of his songs.” MattyB said, “when I first started I wasn’t even allowed to listen to rap music and didn’t really know who I liked…I liked my cousin Mars!” It is inevitable that MattyB will continue to grow and succeed as an entertainer. But, when asked if the family would relocate, I heard a resounding, “No!” They have moved around the Metro Atlanta area a few times, but have grown very fond of Suwanee over the past couple of years. “I love Suwanee!’ MattyB said. “I was shooting music videos in the (Town Center) park before we even lived here!” Actually, Blake Morris confided, that part of the reason they moved to Suwanee from a neighboring city was to be closer to the park and in such a family-friendly area. And, MattyB loves performing around Atlanta. Back by popular demand, he is kicking off his “MattyBLive Summer 2014” concert tour with a hometown show in the Sidney Marcus Auditorium at the Georgia World Congress Center on Saturday, June 14th. For the remainder of the summer he will be performing headline shows across the US, in major cities, in California, Washington D.C., New Jersey, North
MattyB with cousin/producer, Marshall Manning
MattyB and his family have recently inked a deal with the digital content giant, Endemol to develop, co-produce and distribute an original online video series called “MattyB’s World” which will give fans an exclusive look into his life in the format of a digital reality show. Fans can watch the series on YouTube at the channel “MattyBVlogs”. Endemol produces some of the most successful shows on network television, such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Wipeout, Hot in Cleveland and Black Mirror.