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|
A$ton Matthews | |
|---|---|
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Matthew Lopez (1989-10-30)October 30, 1989 (age 36) |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Yamborghini |
| Member of | Cutthroat Boyz |
| Website | astonmatthewsmusic |
Matthew Lopez (born October 30, 1989), known professionally asAston Matthews (stylized asA$ton Matthews), is a Guatemalan-American rapper fromLos Angeles,California.[1] He began to gain recognition in 2014 following the release of his second mixtape,A$ton 3:16. Matthews is also a part of theLos Angeles hip-hop trioCutthroat Boyz alongside fellow Californian rappersVince Staples andJoey Fatts.[2]
Matthew Lopez was born October 30, 1989, in the city ofLos Angeles, California. Born ofGuatemalan immigrants, Lopez spent much of his formative years between Los Angeles,Hawaiian Gardens,Gardena, andCarson, California.[3] Lopez, a self described multi-sport athlete, played varsity football throughout the duration of his high school career. It is during this time that he became a member of theWest Side Pirus, a faction of theBloods based in Carson, California.[3] On May 31, 2008, Lopez was involved in an altercation at a house party where he was shot in his heart by a .40 caliber bullet, breaking his ribs, and tearing his stomach in the process. After making a full recovery, Lopez began to write and record songs about his life.[3]
Following his recovery Lopez would practice writing, rapping, and recording one song a day for two years before releasing his first solo project.[4] On November 4, 2011, Lopez would release "NOFVCKSGIVEN." Lopez described his approach to the project in an interview with VICE as, "I'm just gonna go in on a bunch of beats, make some random crazy shit and see what the fuck happens."[1]NOFVCKSGIVEN largely narrated the events leading up to Lopez's shooting, as well as describing it from his own point of view on the song "May 31st" which also featured then rising rap artistScHoolboy Q.[5] When he began to rap himself, Lopez primarily studied the flow and musical patterns ofEminem, also citingJay-Z,Lil Wayne,G-Unit, andThe Diplomats as direct influences to his style.[3]
Prior to recordingNOFVCKSGIVEN, Lopez would be introduced toVince Staples through a mutual friend. Staples and Lopez would go on to collaborate on numerous occasions, ultimately appearing together on Lopez's first project. After the release ofNOFVCKSGIVEN Staples would introduce Lopez toA$AP Yams who admired Lopez's unique rap style and wanted to further develop him as an artist.[6]
After forming Cutthroat Boyz with rising west coast rap artist Vince Staples and Joey Fatts,[7] Yams would go on to manage Lopez and oversee his next project entitled "Versace Ragz."[4][6] The title served as an ode to New Orleans rap legendJuvenile's sophomore albumSolja Rags. The project furthermore paid tribute as the cover art featured a hand drawn Lopez in the style of early 1990s New Orleans rap album covers made popular byCash Money Records.
On August 4, 2012, Lopez would release Versace Ragz. The project featured rising New York artistsDa$h, RetcH, andBodega Bamz, as well as Vince Staples. Three weeks later on August 24, 2012, Lopez would premiere his debut music video 'Triple HHH' the video featured both Staples and Fatts, marking the first appearance together on film asCutthroat Boyz.[8]
On November 6, 2012, Lopez released a remix to the project's lead single "Mini Van Dan" featuringA$AP Nast,Danny Brown, andFlatbush Zombies.[9] A week later on November 12, 2012, Lopez would release an official video to "Hell in a Cell".[10]
Since Versace Ragz release, Lopez has been regarded as being a pioneer in experimental gangster rap as his subject matter reflected a mixture of gang life and the implementation of WWE Wrestling references.[1] Lopez has often referred to himself in song as several monikers in homage to wrestlers including; Brick Flair, his most popular moniker in tribute toRic Flair, Mini Van Dan, in tribute toRob Van Dam, Big Poppa Pump, in tribute toScott Steiner,[11] Eddie Guerrero's Hologram, in tribute toEddie Guerrero, and Latino Heat, also in tribute to Guerrero.
Following the success of Versace Ragz, Lopez would joinA$AP Rocky on the European leg of hisLive.Love.A$AP Tour in May 2013. Lopez was then announced to make a feature appearance onA$AP Ferg's debut albumTrap Lord before joining his first nationwide tour 'Turnt x Burnt' as a supporting act the following Fall.[12][13]
On January 16, 2013, Lopez sold out his first show atThe Roxy alongside Staples and Fatts, marking the group's first performance and appearance together on stage as The Cutthroat Boyz.[14]
On May 1, 2013, Lopez released an official video to "Mack 11," also announcing he was currently working with legendary hip-hop producersAlchemist andEvidence (of Dilated Peoples).[1][15]
In June 2013, it was announced Lopez was working on a new project entitled 'A$ton 3:16' which he would describe as a departure from his former projects, "Showcasing [my] rap ability across the board."[1] In an interview with HipHopDX, Lopez described his experience with both producers as,[2]
"I can really rap. I'm young, so I like to have fun with those trap beats and the heavy 808s. When I go to shows, I like to get crazy, and that's just my style. I can really spit though, and that's why I think that I make my best music whenever I'm with Alchemist and Evidence. I love making music with those guys because they challenge me to channel in to a whole different side of my brain that I didn't even know was there."
On October 3, 2013, it was revealed Lopez would appear on the soundtrack ofGrand Theft Auto V via the song 'R-Cali' alongside A$AP Rocky.[16]
Two weeks later on October 16, 2013, Lopez released an official video to "Like This" the video quickly became a viral sensation garnering over 500,000 YouTube views upon release.[17]
On December 16, 2013, Lopez released an official video to "Free Wavy Crockett II" an official followup to "Free Wavy Crockett" off his NOFVCKSGIVEN project, both songs and video pay homage to incarcerated New York rap artistMax B whom frequently went by the moniker 'Wavy Crockett'.[18]
On January 29, 2014, Lopez debuted a single off the project entitled 'T.L.C.' which featuredAction Bronson, Flatbush Zombies, and A$AP Yams. The song is Lopez's most streamed song on SoundCloud to date, garnering over 1,000,000 streams to date.[19][20]
On February 10, 2014, Lopez released an official video to "Praey". Two weeks later on February 24, 2014, released an official video to "What You Need" directed byAndy Hines, the video features a cameo by A$AP Rocky.[21][22]
On February 20, 2014, Yams tweeted a flyer confirming Lopez's appearance atSXSW Music Festival,[23] one month later on March 14, 2014, Yams would post footage of Lopez performing a verse over an early version ofA$AP Mob's single "Hella Hoes", to his Tumblr.[24] Lopez would later perform his verse in its entirety alongside the group at SXSW's House of Vans stage sponsored byVibe Magazine andVans.
On March 16, 2014, Lopez released A$ton 3:16 via SoundCloud.[25] The title acted as an ode toWWE WrestlerStone Cold Steve Austin, and featured 19 songs in total. The album's cover art pays homage toIce Cube's Death Certificate, Lopez has said in interviews his father was anIce Cube fan and frequently played his albums growing up.[4] Executive produced by both Yams and Chace Infinite, the project featured production by Evidence, Alchemist, Jay Curry andDj Khalil, as well as guest appearances by Action Bronson,Ab-Soul, Flatbush Zombies, A$AP Ferg, Vince Staples, and Bodega Bamz.[26]
On May 2, 2014 Lopez joined Danny Brown'sOLD Tour, making his first appearance atUniversity of California, San Diego.[27]
On July 7, 2014, Lopez released an official video to "Lit".[28] Nearly two months later on August 27, 2014, Lopez released an official video to "The Other Side" featuringKap G.[29] Both song and videos have been released as non-album promotional singles.
On September 9, 2014, during an interview withXXL Magazine, Vince Staples announced Lopez would be one of two features alongsideTeyana Taylor on his upcoming "Hell Can Wait" EP.[30] Lopez would later make a cameo performing an interlude in the music video of Staple's lead single, "Screen Door."[31]
One month later on December 10, 2014, Lopez appeared alongsideYoung Thug onNoisey's Rap Monument,[32] a 42-Minute song consisting of over 40 rappers includingRaekwon,Pusha T,Nipsey Hussle,Danny Brown, andYG among others.[33] Noisey, the music division ofVice Magazine, regarded Lopez as, "West coast gangsta rap's best kept secret."[1]
On August 28, 2015, in an interview with XXL Magazine, Lopez revealed that he was with Yams the evening of his passing. Stating he flew to New York to pitch himself for the 2015 XXL Freshman Class, he spent time working with Yams on an unreleased project before ultimately witnessing his passing January 18, 2015. Lopez spoke of his hiatus and the impact of Yams untimely passing as,[34]
"Being thats the homie, being thats the reason people even know who the fuck I am, he built me. And being that he brought me into this shit I was like, I'm straight on this rap shit for a minute. I'm good."
After a hiatus from social media, on April 1, 2015, Lopez released an official video to "Chapo" featuring Vince Staples. The video quickly became Lopez's most watched music video with over 1,000,000 YouTube views to date. Lopez is seen wearing a T-shirt honoring Yams throughout.[35]
On May 2, 2015, Lopez would return to London for the first time in two years to perform, selling out the legendary100 Club alongside frequent collaborator Da$h.[36] Upon his return to the United States May 30, 2015, Lopez would go on to sell out Los Angeles' Los Globos alongside frequent collaborator Bodega Bamz.[34]
On June 30, 2015, it was revealed Lopez would appear on Vince StaplesSummertime '06 album. Lopez was praised byComplex Magazine for his guest appearance as well as being credited the "Best voice in the rap game."[37] Lopez also appears in the music video of the album's lead single "Senorita".[38]
In Lopez's August 28, 2015 interview with XXL Magazine he explained overcoming depression following Yams passing, and announced working with New York producerVelous on his upcoming project entitled "Chapovelli." Lopez described the project's conception as,[34]
Well you know, 'Pac did Makaveli, I'm a big Max B fan and he had the Biggaveli shit. And then my homie put me on to this book, that Machiavelli shit [The Prince] so I started dabbling in that. And everything was connecting to religion, and I was questioning my own faith throughout the year with everything that was going on with Yams and all these other things that was happening in my personal life. So then it just made sense. The wave and then 'Pac, that rough shit, fuse the two, I feel like that's me: the wave and the aggression. And then religion, that's my beliefs, and then questioning it is just my life. So that's why I say it's almost like my offering; in a religious sense it's almost like, "Here, this is what I have, it's all on the line, take my artistry for what it is." 'Cause I'm at a different place; it's not the same rap shit no more. It's aggressive but it's also progression at the same time. It's not the same Aston Matthews no more.
On October 19, 2015, Lopez would perform atThe Novo in Los Angeles at Young Thug'sHy!£UN35 Tour. A month later on December 13, 2015, Lopez would join Vince Staples on hisSummertime '06 Tour.[39]
On December 21, 2015, in celebration of the life and legacy of Yams, the ASAP Mob announced Lopez would perform at the first annual Yams Day Music Festival atTerminal 5 in New York City on January 18, 2016.[40] Lopez would go on to perform at the second annual Yams Day Music Festival atMadison Square Garden in New York City the following January 18, 2017.[41]
On April 26, 2016, in part of the Wavy Wednesday series, ASAP Mob released a remix version of 'Hella Hoes' featuring Lopez and Danny Brown in addition to the group's original verses on both SoundCloud and YouTube.[42] Lopez performed his verse three years prior at The House of Vans Stage at SXSW alongside the group, as well as on a leaked video version posted by Yams the week of the performance.[43]
On August 22, 2016, Lopez joinedOG Maco's nationwide T.L.C. Tour.[44]
On October 18, 2016, Lopez released 'Coldest Night In Hell'[45] Produced by Velous, the song heavily samplesGhostface Killah's 2000 song 'Mighty Healthy' and details the events of '100 Days, 100 Nights' a period of sustained gang warfare in retaliation to the death of a 27-year-old man in Los Angeles in the summer of 2015.[46]
On June 20, 2017, in an Instagram post celebrating the life and legacy of the late rap artistProdigy of the Queensbridge rap duoMobb Deep, Lopez revealed they had recorded an unreleased collaboration 'months' prior to his passing.[47] On January 30, 2018,Billboard premiered the posthumous collaboration entitled, '1 Minute To Pray.' In an interview with Billboard, the collaboration is described by Lopez as,[48]
"One of the top 5 moments of my career. I'm forever grateful for what he did for this game, and the influence he gave me, as well as the rest of the world.”
On September 15, 2017, Lopez announced he would be performing for the first time inSeoul, South Korea at The Henz Club.[49] The performance would mark Lopez's first appearance in an Asian territory. A week later, Lopez announced on September 25, 2017, that a collaboration with up-and-coming producerPi'erre Bourne was in the works. On November 1, 2017, Lopez premiered the collaboration with hip-hop magazine XXL entitled 'BRAZY' reviving talks of his long-awaited albumChapovelli across the internet.[50] Two weeks later, on November 13, 2017, Lopez debuted a music video for 'BRAZY' citing its release in honor of Yams birthday of which fell on the same day.[51] The music video showcases Lopez's travels throughoutSeoul, South Korea.
On the morning of February 9, 2018, Lopez announced the arrival of his first born son.[52]
Lopez is a self-proclaimed fan ofThe Oakland Raiders,The Los Angeles Lakers,The Los Angeles Dodgers, andThe University of Southern California Trojans, frequently making highly opinionated and candid remarks toward each organization across all social media platforms throughout each team's season.
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately, especially if potentiallylibelous or harmful.(July 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B/ HH | FRA | |||||
| Chapovelli |
| — | — | — | |||
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| NOFVCKSGIVEN |
|
| Versace Ragz |
|
| Aston 3:16 |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | ||||
| "Mini Van Dan" | 2013 | — | — | — | Versace Ragz | |
| "Hell in a Cell" | — | — | — | |||
| "Mini Van Dan" (Remix) (featuringFlatbush Zombies andDanny Brown) | — | — | — | |||
| "Like This" | 2014 | — | — | — | Aston 3:16 | |
| "Chapo" (featuringVince Staples) | — | — | — | |||
| "What You Need" | — | — | — | |||
| "TLC" (featuringAction Bronson and Flatbush Zombies) | — | — | — | |||
| "TTG" (featuringAb-Soul) | — | — | — | |||
| "Lit" | 2015 | — | — - | - | Non-album singles | |
| "The Other Side" (featuringKap G) | — | — | ||||
| "BRAZY" | 2017 | — | — | — | Chapovelli | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Tres Puntos" | 2012 | Bodega Bamz | Strictly For My P.A.P.I.Z. |
| "Sweet Chin Symphony" | Retch | Delinquents & Degenerates | |
| "TanGerine" | 2013 | Chuck Inglish, Kash Flow da God | Droptops |
| "Everything a Go" | Joey Fatts | Chipper Jones Vol. 2 | |
| "Fuck Out My Face" | ASAP Ferg,B-Real,Onyx | Trap Lord | |
| "R-Cali" | ASAP Rocky, Joey Fatts | Grand Theft Auto V Soundtrack | |
| "In My Mind" | Raven Sorvino,Mike G,Maxo Kream | Queen of HeArts | |
| "With My Soul" | 2014 | The Alchemist, Budgie,Action Bronson,J Rocc | The Good Book |
| "AWOL Radio Volume Won" | Statik Selektah | AWOL Radio Volume Won | |
| "3:16" | Smoke DZA, 183rd | Ringside 2 | |
| "Westside" | Boogie | Thirst 48 | |
| "Paradise" | Joey Fatts,Waka Flocka Flame | Chipper Jones Vol. 3 | |
| "Screen Door" | Vince Staples | Hell Can Wait | |
| "The Man" | Les | Steak X Shrimp, Vol. 1 | |
| "Invoice" | 2015 | Bodega Bamz | Sidewalk Exec |
| "Hang N' Bang" | Vince Staples | Summertime '06 | |
| "Shark Tank" | Dash, Sha Hef | 17 More Minutes | |
| "Chemdream" | 2016 | Chuck Inglish, Blended Babies | Ev Zeppelin |
| "Hella Hoes" (Remix) | ASAP Mob, ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg,ASAP Nast,ASAP Twelvyy,Danny Brown | N/a | |
| "Double Tap" | 2017 | Madchild,Fashawn | The Darkest Hour |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | A$ton Matthews | XXL Freshman | Nominated |
| 2017 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)