Today we’d like to introduce you to Mantiz.
Hi Mantiz, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I go by the name of Mantiz. I’m an American musician from the small town of Elgin, South Carolina. I come from a musical family; I’ve been singing since before I could talk, according to my parents. I started playing drums at age 5 and piano at age 9. I grew up in the 90s when every kid wanted to “be like Mike.” When I didn’t make the basketball team in middle school, I started focusing more and more on music. I was a part of my middle school band, helping secure many satisfactory awards in competitive performances as a top 5 trombonist and a key role in my high school gospel choir, serving as both vocalist and musician. Before I came along, my uncle was the musical prodigy of our family, teaching the rest of us. So I had tons of studio experience growing up, but my father put me through school to be a certified audio engineer. Taking advantage of the internet as we knew it then and releasing as much music as possible to create MySpace led to me working for RISE Recording Studio and Quantum Beats Recording Studios in Columbia. While at Quantum Beats, I recorded my November 2010 project, “The Preface: Democracy.” The momentum from that project gave my name a bigger buzz in the state. In 2011, I produced and featured on “Best Sex Ever” by Lil Cutty. That single was one of the first independent records to go into rotation on radio, followed by SC classic singles “Fool Up Remix” by Street Poet and “Vouch For That Remix” by Sadie Hawkins that same year. Soon after, I started my blog site, ThisIsMantiz.com, as an outlet to give the masses anything I was involved in.
I relocated to Atlanta in 2012 and released “The Preface II: Autocracy.” While in Atlanta, I met my manager Tasha Scott of SheBloggin.com and Lotti Creatives. Between 2012 and 2013, I released a series of freestyles and original singles that led up to my April 2014 project, “27”. Promoting that album, I was invited to Houston, TX, to perform for their Indie Spring Jam music festival. This directly led to my appreciation and love for the city of Houston, which further influenced the evolution of my sound. In 2015, I released “She Say,” a single featuring JetsonMade to promote my critically acclaimed “Thank You For Listening” EP. Following this project, I started to step into my persona as The New Bo Jackson, “the guy that could do it all.” To this theme, I released my 2016 “’85 Heisman” mixtape and began to focus on “The Bo Jack LP.” In 2018, I remastered and re-released “Thank You For Listening” as well as added new songs “Down 4” & “The Vibe.” In 2019, I landed a production credit for DaBaby’s “GOSPEL” from his sophomore “KIRK” album. The placement served as my first Billboard charting song, garnered a #1 album achievement, and reached RIAA platinum status. In 2020, I co-produced “Bidness” for DaBaby and “Route 66” for Jack Harlow. In August 2021, I released my latest “Stay Hydrated” project with my artist Rock Ransom. I was currently working on new music for my R Dot Entertainment imprint.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not. I’ve had plenty of hangups and rejections and battling with disloyalty and scandal. I’ve seen depression for myself, and perseverance takes courage. At what seemed the height of my career, many influential figures in my home state turned their backs on me because it was the “dishonorable” thing to do by move to Atlanta of all cities. Quiet as kept, I always had my sights on LA, so cutting my teeth in ATL prepared me for it. There’s still somewhat of a “blackballing” going on, but I’ve weathered the storms as my own man with my supporters, and everything has been a breeze ever since.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
When asked “what I do,” I always answer, “everything in music.” Regarding my music exclusively: I write, produce, record, perform, mix, master, and design most of the artwork. I’ve assembled my visual team, The New Standards. I own and manage my publishing and production company, The Block Symphony. In short, everything you’ve heard, unless noted otherwise, is me. My first proudest moment came from producing a song for my father in tribute to my grandfather’s memory. Being that he’s the man that taught me music, it was incredible leading the direction. I somewhat replicated the famous “Motown Sound” on the recording as we covered “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin. My second proudest moment was getting a text from JetsonMade telling me that “KIRK” had gone platinum while I was in the delivery room awaiting my son. It was amazing that I had become a platinum producer and a father in the same 24 hours. I wouldn’t say it sets me too far apart from others, but I know God’s hand is on my life. I have an abundance of talent that’s required of me to do something with, so I’m relentless. There are still higher plateaus, but I’ve accomplished enough to smile.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
Watching the music industry change over the years, I enjoy Bandcamp’s platform the most regarding support. A dream come true would be to have a solid 10K supporters on my Bandcamp page, Mantiz.bandcamp.com. For everything else, bookingmantiz@gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: ThisIsMantiz.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thisismantiz
- Facebook: facebook.com/officialmantiz
- Twitter: twitter.com/mantiz186
- Youtube: youtube.com/mantiz
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mantiz
- Other: mantiz.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
J. Andre Projex Photography, for The New Standards Aaron Smalls for Aaron D Smalls Photography
