Don Lifted
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Bio
Multidisciplinary artist Lawrence Matthews began writing poetry and songs in middle school while growing up in Memphis’ Shelby County, and now performs, produces, and writes music as Don Lifted. Via Don Lifted, Matthews creates genre-agnostic, atmospheric productions that distill influences from artists such as Radiohead and Bon Iver. His raps are tender affirmations, "a glowing meditation on self-preservation" (The FADER), which process fear and love, wins and losses, vulnerability, mortality, and ambition.
Matthews' visual art portrays the diverse narratives of displaced Africans living in America, and has been displayed in galleries and museums around the midsouth. Matthews is also the Gallery Director of TONE, an art gallery and non-profit organization dedicated to providing platforms to black artists in Memphis. Already part of Memphis history — Matthews is a community figure, and a beacon for aspiring creatives.
At a hometown show in 2019, Matthews caught the eye of producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine). This led to a signing with Fat Possum, which anticipates Don Lifted’s forthcoming album 325i (out October 22).
On 325i, Matthews speaks from a place of artistic stability, years in the making, for the first time. It’s a record about Matthews rebuilding his identity from the ground up after living through the expectations of others, and he's never sounded more like himself. Recorded during quarantine, the album explores the artist’s navigation of his future — romantic and physical — as well as his anxieties surrounding isolation, multiplicity, and trauma. This tour de force of commitment and dreaming makes the case for Don Lifted as one of Memphis’ most dynamic, compelling artists.Tracks
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