Press Lives Matter: Mateo Dorado, A&R at Alamo Records
Written by Greg Harris
It's been a little minute since we posted a Press Lives Matter interview due to the holidays and being around family, but the trap is not going to stop anytime soon and it's only right we keep pushing out great content as well. In the process of doing so, we wanted to bring it back with an individual who's been making noise in many ways and doing at a young age.
We're speaking of Mateo Dorado, a jack of all trades who's from the sunny coast of Palm Beach, Florida who now resides in the bustling streets of New York City. He first gained traction with curating some of the ground-breaking shows that help put a spotlight on the likes of Lil Pump, Ski Mask the Slump God, Smokepurpp, and more during the rise of the South Florida explosion that came full circle in 2017. Along with doing that, he has played a very vital role in the careers of many young bubbling acts such as Yung Bans, BoofBoiIcy, Young Jasper, Comethazine, and more. Accomplishing these things at the tender age of 19, he's poised to be one of the pivotal architects for hip-hop's emerging lane for rebellious rap.
We recently had a chance to speak to the Florida music tastemaker on his start, playing a role into the burst of South Florida's sound, the art of being a manager and more.
Read below.
How's Your Modern Life?
My modern life is the appetite home of teenage angst. I think we are in a society where it’s almost as if anxiety is promoted and even though I try to step out I get called into a lot maybe it’s because I just care about things a little bit too much.
What are three things you have to do when you first wake up in the morning?
I have to check on my social media accounts and my text messages, I have to plan my outfit and if I still have my jewel and haven’t lost it from the night before I have to rip it.
Coming up in Palm Beach, how was your upbringing?
I had a very formal upbringing I went to art school. My parents were really into music, my dad was in a band and they always threw parties in middle school and high school. I had a lot of friends but I was still a little bit weird, I definitely had my phases when I was a little bit more reclusive then social. I want to say I grew up in a normal family home but I was also not afraid of jumping into different environments Palm Beach has extremely rich people and extremely poor people I dabbled with in both areas
Compared to the rest of South Florida, How does Palm Beach separate itself?
Like I said before Palm Beach is split in between like really rich high-end and like the ghetto. It’s also I feel like a county that struggles for popularity, for shine and people struggle to get out of there so there’s definitely a lot of hunger but life is also super chill and comfortable there’s a lot of people get caught up.
Before you became a key figure for live events in the Sunshine State, how do you first start getting involved with music and how did it inspire to push the envelope?
I started going to smaller events within the scene and eventually, I met up with like a popular promoter around there and started almost just following him around until I met everybody
Before getting into management, how did you get into the live event scene in Florida?
I got into the live event scene because I grew up in a small town and kids around me were wondering why I wasn’t bringing the talent that I knew into our town. A lot of kids are getting in trouble, so I felt like it was a healthy way to get kids to do something a little bit safer on the weekends
"I want to stay humble no matter what I might wild out and say shit on the Internet like I’m the youngest blah blah blah I’m doing this and that but in reality were all just people so really I just want to be seen as a person who’s down to help out and help everybody win and I want to live a modern life"
Throwing live events in Florida during a time where Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, Ski Mask the Slump God, and others were just coming up, how did you think these live experienced set the tone for what the world was going to get from the Sunshine State sound?
These kids literally went viral because they would do things like mob the streets and get arrested after their own shows, throw microphones, mosh with their fans and connect with all their fans afterwards. hey were really involved with the community and everything was videotaped so it went viral.
Aside from being known for some of the craziest shows in Florida, you have played in an instrumental role as a manager for Yung Bans. How did you guys meet and how has it been working with him?
Bans actually found out about me through my live events over the Internet he gave me a call a couple days after he got out of jail and we just went face first into it. It was like a real project working with him I think it was like really my first taste at being an A&R
ARTISTS THAT MATEO HAS MANAGED/WORKED WITH
YUNG BANS
BOOFBOIICY
COMETHAZINE
CRIS DINERO
What are some duties you've learned as a being manager, not only for Bans but for others as well?
Being a manager is a 24-hour job. It’s very demanding but seeing all the kids succeed makes up for it and all the connections that you make through them makes up for it. I really don’t care very much about the money aspect of it, I just want to see everybody shine the way they deserve to.
From the work that preceded you, you landed a spot as an A&R for Alamo Records. How has it been working and learning under Todd Moscowitz and the rest of the growing Alamo Money Team?
It’s been a blessing to learn from Todd and the rest of the A&R’s. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me to succeed but at the same time they understand my age they understand my mentality and where I’m at. I wouldn’t change this opportunity for anything I love my team.
During your experience throughout this year, what have the most important lessons you've learned while on your journey to success?
I learned that work is everywhere and you can’t take things to heart. I also learned that when you get to a position like this you have to start taking life and your day-to-day experiences a little bit more seriously.
What are three things you would Life to accomplish in 2018?
In 2018, I just want to make sure that everybody who I’m working with whether it’s my friends who are artists, my friends who are producers, my family and/or friends themselves, I really just want to make sure that people have things to look forward to as well as myself
At the end of the day, how do you want to be remembered?
I want to stay humble no matter what I might wild out and say shit on the Internet like I’m the youngest blah blah blah I’m doing this and that but in reality we're all just people so really I just want to be seen as a person who’s down to help out and help everybody win and I want to live a modern life.