Khari Mateen

Khari Mateen is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His first credits of note came with the Roots' 2006 album Game Theory, for which he co-produced the title track, "Livin' in a New World," and "Clock with No Hands." In addition to continuing his association with the Roots (contributing to Rising Down and Undun), he collaborated with Joy Denalane, Jill Scott, Tye Tribbett, James Poyser's Rebel Yell, Vivian Green, J*Davey, and Roots offshoot Money Making Jam Boys, among others. In 2010, he began uploading modest yet creative short-form solo recordings. A couple years later, after some of his work was featured in the Sundance series Brick City, he released Wait for Sunrise, a brief set of moody and slightly off-center R&B, through his label, The Lunchroom. Soul Train named it one of 2012's best releases. The full-length Wishful Thinking followed in 2015. Among that album's collaborators was poet/rapper STS, with whom Mateen went on to record Better on a Sunday, issued three years later. All the while, Mateen continued to compose music for films and documentaries -- including Emmy-winning work for We Could Be King -- and recorded with the likes of Son Little, Cody Simpson, and Post Malone. Mateen is also a member of Elevator Fight, a rock band fronted by Zoë Kravitz. ~ Andy Kellman