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He stands among the ranks of heartthrobs like Chris Brown, Omarion, Mario, & Usher. Thousands of women across the country already know his name & have his posters on their walls. His concerts are high energy performances with tight choreography. Ladies & Gentleman, R&B's next superstar is...a rapper His name is Matt Johnson aka "Gyfted", a name derived from the Hebrew translation of "Matthew", which is "Gift of God." Much like Chris Brown, he doesn't hail from anything close to a hip-hop mecca. He was born to a single mother in the small southern Ohio town of Ironton (population: 12,000). He grew up on gospel music, r&b, and baseball. Definitely not your typical hip-hopper. But then again, there's nothing typical about this kid. His music isn't your cookie-cutter hip-hop either. Rapping influence from Will Smith and a heavy influence of R&B artists such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, etc, his songwriting and vocal ability has enabled him to easily create a niche for himself in the industry, separating him from his hip-hop counterparts. But the most important aspect to notice about Gyfted, apart from his icy blue eyes, is the fact that he's capable of remaining positive and inspirational throughout every song he writes without sacrificing radio commercial appeal. He has the ability to construct intricate rhyme schemes that stack heavy-hitting punchlines without cussing, without any negativity at all, such as in "Menace 2 the Game" and to push a melodic love song with a bouncy pop feel like "I Swear" where women are upheld and revered instead of objectified and degraded. He's even versatile enough to drop beautiful ballad type tracks liked "Everything to Me." And of course, just like Will, he's one of the few rappers who dance. But even before the music, people had always said there was something special about Matt Johnson. They couldn't quite put their finger on it but they knew it was there, a certain spark that you see in a person but you can't explain it. That spark was his creativity, his God-given talent, and desire to be something great. It wasn't until he began writing that this really became evident. His quiet demeanor and shyness didn't allow for much expression but music created a sort of split personality that unleashed his creative ability. Music was his outlet. In highschool, he stunned his classmates by performing a song he had written in the yearly talentshow. He blew everybody away with a powerful performance, surprising even his closest friends...even his family. Nobody really knew just how talented he was. Since then, he's grown from amateur to professional, steadily making his rise to the top. He's been blessed with opportunities to perform at various venues throughout the country, including top class universities such as Ohio State and Marshall, the Apollo Theatre in Chicago, and even set off the new year alongside a popular band at Columbus, Ohio's official New Year's Rockin' Eve party at Nationwide Arena. His debut album, "Best Kept Secret" also hit the shelves in October of 2005, putting the name "Gyfted" in household's across America, as well as across the world. Along with that, he's become popular among the internet crowd, drawing thousands of fans through the social networking site, Myspace.com. When asked if he's a rapper, Gyfted says, "no". He's much more than just a rapper. "Anyone can be a rapper nowadays," he says, "Anybody and their grandma can rap, no exaggerations. But to be an artist, to be a performer, to be an entertainer, to have heart and to have passion for music and the ability to make great music...that takes something special. I don't believe everybody has that. But I believe God has blessed me with that gift." The music industry is overdue for an artist like this. The feeling in the air is that millions of fans everywhere will be watching and waiting. It's time that music was about music again...without the ignorance. "I just want to make an impact," Gyfted says, "I want to make music because it feels good. Making a living from it is great and it's what I want to do, but it's not only about the money, or the lifestyle. I feel sorry for the people who sell their souls in exchange for material things. My music isn't about getting paid....it's about touching lives. That's what music is supposed to be about. At the end of the day, I just want to be remembered as somebody who made a difference." Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the next generation. Truly, a "Gift of God." Check out the artist's website: http://www.gyfted.com Track List: 1. Intro 2. Menace 2 the Game 3. That's Life (Feat. Skeptikal) 4. Time 5. Grindin' (Feat. Prodigal & Fokissed) 6. No One Else Comes Close *Part I* 7. We Goin' Fly 8. Stop Fallin' 9. Strangers *Part II* (Feat. Soulful & Skeptikal) 10. Raisin' the Bar 11. Like That *I-Town Anthem* (Feat. J-Rok) 12. I Swear *Part III* 13. Let It Rain 14. Souljahz 15. Everything to Me *Part IV* 16. Outro Other Genres:
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