J-Matty: The DMV Artist Who's Saving Lives and Creating Hits

By: Michelle Calderon

DMV artist J-Matty performing on stage (Image via J-Matty)

Matthew Javelosa, who goes by his stage name J-Matty, is a Filipino pop musician based in Virginia. Some of his biggest hits include “Secret,” “You Changed Me” and “Running on My Mind.” He’s also the co-founder of “Wrizzards Records,” a band and independent music label. 

J-Matty was born and raised in the Philippines and fell in love with music and performing at a young age. 

“Growing up, I was around music a lot. My father was in a band, and he would often pull me up on stage. I would be singing along to his songs and got that positive feeling of being in front of a crowd,” J-Matty said.

Music is a big part of his heritage.

“Being Filipino, it’s part of our culture to always be singing and dancing. We’re always singing karaoke and pop culture is a big thing in the Philippines, so music has always been a part of me since I was a little kid,” J-Matty said.  

J-Matty credited fellow Filipino artist Bruno Mars for being one of his biggest inspirations. He specifically admires Bruno Mars’ writing background.

He relates to Bruno Mars’ songwriting beginnings, as he said that writing is his favorite part about being an artist. 

For J-Matty, his fans are always in mind during his songwriting process.

“I’m not writing music just for myself. I want to write for others so they can relate to it—whether it’s to heal from a breakup or when they’re falling in love,” he said. 

One of his newest and most relatable songs is “Secret.” 

“Secret” is inspired by this generation's rapid hookup and situationship culture, he said. He admires young adults who take things slow instead of rushing into a relationship. 

“It’s smart to not commit right away, but there are cons to that as well,” he said.

On top of being a music artist, J-Matty also has a nursing degree and worked as a full-time registered nurse for over three years. For years, he would work 12-hour shifts, then head straight to the recording studio to work on his music. 

His love for music kept him energized during those long days. 

“When I get really excited about things and I’m constantly doing something that I love, I get reenergized. I may be running on two-three hours of sleep, but the tiredness goes away when I’m doing the things that I love,” J-Matty said. 

As his days got longer, he considered quitting music. While feeling settled into his nursing career, he experienced a life-altering event that renewed his passion. 

In October 2017, he was involved in a car accident. He suffered multiple injuries and almost lost his life. 

“When you’re sitting in a hospital bed and all these emotions are running through your head, it’s a wake-up call. I’m thinking about how I could have passed away at 23 without pursuing the things that I love,” J-Matty said. 

The accident motivated him to work toward his artistic dreams, despite how many challenges he may encounter. 

“Without the accident, I wouldn’t be the same person. I wouldn’t be pursuing music and my other passions,” J-Matty said.

For J-Matty, he enjoys being an independent artist because he loves the creative freedom that it gives him and his fellow Wrizzards members. 

“We had some run-ins with the music industry in the past. We quickly realized that we wanted to move our own way,” J-Matty said.

He also said that in the future he would love for other independent artists to join Wrizzards Records. He would love for him and his fellow members to serve as mentors for them. 

“We’re slowly building it up so that eventually we can have artists come into our group, and we can help support and guide them as they progress with their artistry,” J-Matty said. 

J-Matty has tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram. He said that social media is a very beneficial tool for any artist who wants to get their work noticed. He encourages other artists to take advantage of these platforms and to post their work consistently, regardless of what others think. 

“Don’t be afraid to express yourself. You’ve seen the success stories of people progressing in their artistry because of how consistent they are on social media,” J-Matty said. 

He said that his favorite feeling is watching the audience that he and the Wrizzards have built expand over time.

“When we’re up on stage together and we’re seeing how much our audience keeps growing, that’s when I feel really proud,” J-Matty said.  

In the future, J-Matty sees himself recording more music with the Wrizzards and touring all over the world. 

“In five to 10 years from now, I see the Wrizzards touring the world. We want to go to the Philippines. We want to represent our culture all over the world. I see our group really succeeding and making a lot of top hits,” J-Matty said.