North Portland native Mat Randol’s lyrics could be written and packaged as a memoir or a masterclass in how to persevere. The indie rapper-songwriter, obsessed with intricate production and worldbuilding, interweaves stories of his resilient upbringing with vulnerable offerings from a wounded human. His music falls under a unique brand of “impact music,” a genre Mat created to describe the affecting nature of his candid musings on jagged adolescence and finding his way as a man, son, father, and friend.

Falling in love with music at a young age, Mat started songwriting and self-producing in a small bedroom in his grandmother’s house at the age of 15. After losing both his father and grandfather, he began pouring his grief into his own music, refusing to continue suppressing his emotions in hopes he could inspire anyone facing depression. He released his debut project, Alignment, in 2015, asserting himself into the underground hip-hop conversation and accumulating a loyal following eager to hear more.

When asked what makes him different from his musical peers, Mat’s answer is simple: “I feel like my story hasn’t been told. I just feel like no one can deliver raw emotion like I can.”