User:Mates Mogul

Although he was born in Staunton, VA. Jerome Wells (Birth name for the Governments satisfaction) formally known as Mates Mogul, spent most of his youth on the streets of Baltimore, Md. Living in the cycle of poverty, his family was transient and he spent many years moving back and forth between Maryland and Virginia. Growing up quickly in the harsh realities that poverty inflicts, he began writing rhymes and dreaming of grandeur at a young age. As is typical, hip hop was an escape and a ticket out of the projects.

He has had many influences on his life and opinions that have shaped him as an African-American male struggling to grasp the American dream. He was raised by a single mother with an absent father. His mother worked long hours as she strived to raise three children without a positive male role model. Unfortunately, this left the children to raise themselves in the often mean streets. As the world can be harsh, he sought ways to make money and connections that would lead him out of this poverty stricken life that he was born into.

As a teen he spent his time hustling on the streets to feed the images that the media often portrays as ideal. Hustling, writing, rapping, and hanging on the streets further developed his want and need to be heard. The scraps of paper and tattered composition books began to fill one Timberland shoebox after another.

As his mother’s health declined during her last years of life, she often reminded him that he was going to make it. He was a son that she was proud of. He was her gift. After her passing, he kept the grind alive by being even more dedicated to his music. She was his true inspiration, and he was hungry for success.

Through the triumphs and tribulations that life brings, his message continues to be strong. From the purchase of his first microphone, to the birth of his record label ORKA, he continues to be an advocate for change for both himself and his family, but also for society.

This music is representative of the masses raised in poverty. It is undoubtedly edgy and mildly controversial. The stories told are real. Your pain is his pain. Your struggle is his struggle. Every hood has a story and everybody in the hood has a story to tell. He feels like the story of his personal struggle is already being told by billions around the world. Matrix represents those that are not heard, those that are trapped in the cipher, and those that want music that they can truly relate to. He does not profess to be a role model, but simply a speaker of truth and lessons. He hopes to bring a refreshing voice to hip hop. This conscious approach is for thinkers and those that have been with hip hop from the beginning. This will be an eye opening experience for those that are ready. He wants his listeners to remember, we’re all just “1 Block from Paradise.”

“If you want something done, you got to do it yourself. Don’t depend on the next man to direct the construction of your wealth.” Mates Mogul