5 Questions with ... Matthew Malcolm

Singer, songwriter and actor, Matthew Malcolm Blake, known professionally as Matthew Malcolm, is being intrinsically positioned as one of reggae’s newest torch-bearers and an “exciting new voice”.

It was on TVJ’s popular All Together Sing that his talent shifted to the big screen and people started to tune in to his commanding vocals and tapped him as one to watch.

By 2021, Matthew Malcolm had readied his début EP, Rebirth. In addition to his musical output, Matthew Malcolm has the authority to add actor to his resume with his role in the 2024 award-winning Bob Marley: One Love biopic, where he portrayed a young Seeco Patterson, the legendary percussionist of The Wailers.

That same year, the singer took to stages across the US as opening act for Junior Marvin and The Legendary Wailers. Last year, Matthew Malcolm and his band, The Original Rising Suns, traversed Europe, performing at major festivals in Spain, Germany.

This week, 5 Questions With ... features Matthew Malcolm.

1. How would you best describe your sound and who/what have been your influences musically?

I would describe my sound as something very familiar, from the past, yet has the sonic of the future. This comes as early influences of the Motown era with artistes like the Jackson 5, James Brown, Diana Ross, Rick James and Jimmy Hendrix. And my influences from the Jamaican side are so many ... I’ll name a few ... the Wailers, Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, Sister Nancy ... and I grew up on some Carlene Davis and Grace Thrillers, as well.

2. Tell us a little about your journey to your début project, Rebirth, and touring with the Wailers.

After All Together Sing, I was in a group called Total 5 that was managed and mentored by Glen Browne, then I went on to a solo career and that’s when I started working on Rebirth. It was like rebranding, formulating new sounds and building a new fan base. That was when I got the Bob Marley project and everything was just in sync. Rebirth is a body of work that represents my diversity as someone who sees creativity as something free.

My greatest wish would be for everyone to live their best dreams. And that’s the feeling I got from touring with the great Junior Marvin from the Wailers. These are the people who brought reggae and Jamaica on the map. So, of course, it’s a dream come true.

3. Your latest release, Please Sir, is a song that “gives voice to tomorrow’s children”. What is the inspiration for this track and is the message rooted in observation?

The inspiration behind this track really spans from driving by the stoplight or just a random mall. you will see children trying to make their lunch money by selling or asking for help. If you have a soul, it will hit you on different levels ... especially when you can’t do much. So, Please Sir is truly a reflection of these kids’ voices.

4. What was the recording process like and what is the response so far to Please Sir, and to your catalogue in general?

This song was written 13 years ago by my oldest brother, Jermaine Blake. My brother took a path into a more Christian journey and he suggested that I sing some of the songs that he wrote more than a decade ago.

So, we arranged with my producer Urban Villa and he got some musicians and we went to Harry J Studio and that was like a process where everybody went in and caught the vibe ... everybody was in tune and the session was like three hours. The love this track has been getting is everything I hoped for. It is phenomenal and shows that such an amazing genre as reggae can still be revolutionised and even make its way back to the mainstream charts.

5. You had your moment on the big screen as Seeco Patterson in the Bob Marley Paramount biopic. How did that come about and was the experience life-changing?

The Bob Marley biopic was and still is life-changing on so many levels. I’ve been watching documentaries for over 10 years now in the process of my development as an artiste. Just seeing the level of drive, determination and unity that they had as a team .... that’s rare today.

So, in getting that as Seeco Patterson, I was already in tune with that frequency. It felt like a manifestation moment and it was all about application from then. It was more like you have a task right now to bring these people’s lives to light and I was more that happy to be that vessel to carry out that task. But the most important gain has to be, being inspired by the drive and determination they had at such a time when Rasta and the music was not accepted.

BRAWTA: How do you plan to balance acting and music and what can would fans be surprised to know about Matthew Malcolm?

Music will always be my first love, everything else is secondary. For 2026 look out for more consistent releases. Our next release is Seaview in February. People would perhaps be surprised to know that I genuinely love farming. It’s like music. You learn true patience.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com