BLACKBEAR FAULT MAGAZINE COVER SHOOT AND INTERVIEW

Photographer + Producer + Art Director | Tyler Kenny @tylerkennyphoto

Fashion Editor | Chaunielle Brown @chaunielle_brown

Fashion Stylist | Gloria Johnson @styledbyglo_2

blackbear’s Creative Directors + Fashion Stylists | Mitch Modes @mitchmodes + Vincent Ferraro

Groomer | Arlen Jeremy @arlenjeremy

Words + Interview | Jacquex Frankel @thecooljag

Fashion Stylist Assistant | Jimmy So Dope @jimmysodope

Studio Techs | Reno Ronquillo @ronquillosaur + Madi Sileo @madisileo

Special thanks to Christina Handel @christinahandel and Matt Hills @matt9roper for their beautiful location and friends. 

Words | Jacquex Frankel @thecooljag

Taking everything day by day, blissfully, wholeheartedly and joyfully happy for life, is the feeling with Matthew Tyler Musto, AKA blackbear! Debuting a letter to his (RIP) genetic father, ‘in loving memory,’ featuring Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker from Blink 182, we get to know: how life is today, some laughs, and advice worth noting. The multipotentialite is recognized for music capabilities in contributing to: ‘Boyfriend’ by Justin Bieber, and ‘These Things Happen by G-Eazy,’ which brings us to some next ideal collaborations… 

Jacquex: Hello multi-genre star! How was your nap!
blackbear: It was actually good! I woke up at 4AM, like I always do, and got in the gym. I’m wiped by this time, everyday. Since the tour, I wasn’t able to workout for a while because I was just so tired. But I’m back in!

Jacquex: How’s November treating you?
blackbear: Well, it’s no shave November! And my beard is so long…

Jacquex: Where are you located at the moment, is this home… 
blackbear: I’m in the countryside of Los Angeles, I live remotely in Shadow Hills.

Jacquex: Nice! What’s the rest of the year looking like?
blackbear: I’m taking it easy, I was touring a lot. I want to spend the holidays with my family. And get back to it on January 1st. Chilling for now, it was a crazy growth of a year. I went through a lot and overcame a lot. All I have left is working on Mansionz with Mike Posner.

Jacquex: How has “in loving memory,” the recent album, been received?
blackbear: I feel like the fans really loved it, and that’s all that matters to me. I said what I needed to say, I didn’t imagine how it would be received. I needed to write a love letter to my father, who passed away. It was an interesting time. I got to collaborate with my hero Travis Barker, a beautiful time. The fact that it came out… was a success for me. It was an itch that I needed to scratch and say at the time. I’m glad I was able to do that with music.

Jacquex: How’s inspiration sourced?
blackbear: Through meditation with my higher power. I pray a lot, I write down my thoughts in the morning, about three pages. There are times when something good is on the pages and I’ll use that. Sometimes it is something simple like a tweet, that I write, and make into a whole song.

Jacquex: What does it mean to be an artist, the artist you are today?
blackbear: That’s a good question! Everybody has a vision, and you do not need one to be an artist. Everyone sees the world a certain way. For me being an artist is how you see the world and how you want to make people feel. I want to make the world feel like they belong, to make people feel accepted in a way for themselves. Art is a funny thing, haha, I’m inspired by my conversation with spirits. How we make art is how our spirit connects with other spirits. We’re connected in some way, art brings us together.

Jacquex: With many collaborations accomplished, what/who is next?
blackbear: I hope to get with BTS before they go off to the army! I really hope I can, Jung Kook: I love you. I would love to work with: Harry Styles, to do a latin banger with Rosalía, to collaborate with my hero Morrissey. We’ll see. I pour my heart into each collaboration as we go.

Jacquex: What would you be doing if it wasn’t Music?
blackbear: Some form of art, I found my voice through music… If music didn’t exist, I don’t know…

Jacquex: What advice do you wish had been shared when first making music?
blackbear: I wish someone would say that fame comes with music, if you’re good. Everybody was like, “you’ll never make it.” And, I wish somebody would have told me that I couldn’t go get coffee, if I did make music. Or that people told me: I would have panic attacks, and cry in the bathroom randomly. I wish I knew everything that came from music. I’m happy for my success but fame overwhelms me. I also wish someone would have advised me not to change my identity. The more you are yourself, the more you are praised. In the early years, I never wanted to be me. 

Jacquex: People are wearing your album covers as Halloween customs?!
blackbear: Halloween is so cool. You can be anything, and for you to be my album, or me, that one night is very cool. I like to post it. I dressed my son as a spooky little ghost, the rest of us were skeletons and we went on Trick-or-Treating. 

Jacquex: How’s parenthood!
blackbear: I learn something new everyday. Midnight is at that age where we can communicate. Trying to get in touch with his emotions, and him within himself. Morrissey is growing too! I see a lot of myself in them. It is crazy to see how much of their life is not how I grew up, My life was so different. I’m just happy about that. 

Jacquex: What have you learned from your community: fans, friends, family…?
blackbear: I’ve learned to have patience, to have empathy. My family, mainly my wife, is the most empathetic human I’ve met. I’ve grown to be more patient with bullshit in life. I look to my community, to be a better person, when times get hard.

Jacquex: Are you adding any new tattoos…?
blackbear: I still have some room! I have a little space in my back and legs. I really want to do a big – huge – back piece, one large tattoo.

Jacquex: What’s your friendship advice?
blackbear: Give each other space, but not too much space. Check on your friends, see how they are doing emotionally and spiritually. I think it is really good to be a person who checks on a friend. Catch how many times you are asking for something, or asking for your selfish needs. Be cognizant of that.

Jacquex: Birthday plans?! Spill the tea!
blackbear: The birthday plan, I’m going to Las Vegas with my wife!! 27 is the roulette lucky number!

Jacquex: What is your FAULT?
blackbear: Inside my brain I can be a bit of a meany but I’m working on it.