In recent months, there’s been an influx of additions to the entertainment industry, and I’m not talking about popular university-targeted acts like Chiddy Bang or Mike Posner. I’m referring to significantly younger individuals—individuals who are surely not old enough to make a successful rise to fame by their own means.
Just this past week, a seven-year-old boy named Matty B was covered by media outlets Perez Hilton and New York Magazine. A few hours later, a YouTube video of Matty B rapping over a Ke$ha song went viral and has since garnered over 1.5 million views. At first glance, you see a cute little blonde boy with “cool” style. But then you begin to think: Who is this kid?
After seeing his video, I proceeded to investigate this unknown Matty B character and found multiple other videos, all in the same style as the one that caught the eye of Perez Hilton. The gossip guru went on to notify Ke$ha’s actual producer Dr. Luke (associated with huge acts like Katy Perry and Taio Cruz), who was enthused about the video. The point here is: Who is Matty B? Sure, he’s a seven-year-old boy who raps and sings, but can it really be true that he films, edits, and writes his own songs?
Along with the immediate praise from teenage girls, there’s also been a backlash against Matty B and other rising young stars. Questions have been raised concerning who exactly is managing these children and what their motives are. It’s very possible that parents see how fast rise to fame can be using the Internet and think that their child can make it in the business because he or she has “star quality.”
Take the example of Justin Bieber, who was virtually unknown two and a half years ago. He was just another kid from Ontario who had a YouTube account where he posted acoustic songs. He used to sing outside of the Stratford Playhouse, where countless high school students from Montreal and around Canada (like me) may have dropped a loonie in his guitar case, never knowing he would soon be discovered by R&B megastar Usher.
It’s true that stars can be born via the Internet, but something about Matty B is a little fishy. At least Justin Bieber wasn’t being edited and marketed in a way that seemed like his parents would be benefitting from his possible success. In contrast, Matty B’s videos are way too good to be true. They have perfect editing and crystal clear vocals. Judging by his house (pictured in many of his videos), one could hazard a guess that he might have access to professional recording materials. On the other hand, it’s possible that his mother is just a whiz when it comes to iMovie and GarageBand.
Willow Smith (daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith) is another example of a young star on the rise. Her situation is slightly different, as she was raised in the entertainment industry and definitely has a professional team working for her. She just turned 10 last week, but her debut single, “Whip My Hair,” has already risen to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. At first some may have wondered if Willow was just another child of a Hollywood power couple being pushed into the industry, but after performing on national TV this week for the first time, I think she has proven her case as a good performer. She now joins the ranks of Justin Bieber and her own brother Jaden Smith, who just starred alongside Jackie Chang in this past June’s box office success, The Karate Kid.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m actually on Matty B’s side. Kudos for being recognized by huge media outlets and generating buzz all over North America. He is obviously a child who wants to be famous, and he may even have the personality, voice, and team to pursue it. But not everybody is going to be the next Justin Bieber. Sorry Matty B, keep rapping as a hobby, but don’t try to make a career out of it.
