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Meet Matthew Rich of Ubiquitous Love Tribe in Greater Los Angeles

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Today we’d like to introduce you to nahhphet, or Matthew Rich.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Santa Monica, a nominally diverse and oddly sequestered microcosm of neoliberal faux post-racialism and progressive ideology. Despite taking a long time to come to an understanding of just how sheltered my upbringing was, I distinctly remember early hints of a more nuanced world that came to me through music, specifically hip-hop. In my early childhood, my mom still practiced dance and would play music like A Tribe Called Quest when I rode in the car with her. My brother strictly listened to The Beat and Power 106; the latter of which is where I heard Slick Rick’s Street Talkin’ for the first time, a moment that sticks out in my memory as central to my love for this genre.

In any case, I went through nearly 19 years of life as a fan of hip-hop and nothing more in that regard. I did practice art, primarily as a writer, penning surreal short stories and freely-associative poetry but, as far as music was concerned, I only looked in from the outside. A year or so after I graduated high-school, though, I was going to UCLA and started to form connections with talented artists from my area, such as OSIRIS8, Malik LovesYall, and the members of Warm Brew. I would freestyle a lot with Osiris and my brother Ryan and began writing some raps in earnest with them, Manu Li (of Warm Brew), and others. Galvanized by their camaraderie and encouragement, I began to take the idea of myself rapping more seriously. I still hadn’t wrapped my mind around actually releasing music but, as an example of me gaining confidence, I spontaneously entered a rap battle against some cats from San Jose when I was doing a quarter at UCSC, and ended up getting second place – nothing to write home about, but a testament to my slowly growing abilities.

2013 hit and I began to realize I was spending too much time on music with too little intention. I had released a short EP with Osiris and had collaborated with loved ones on a handful of one-off tracks, but had no definitive goals for the music I was making. I gradually came to understand what was holding me back: if I was to devote my time and energy to art, and especially to an art form born of black culture, I – as a white man – did not feel it would be okay to only do so for my own sake. Even in general, I felt (and feel) that art should not be a tool for self-gratification.

Rather, in my belief, art exists for the sake of communion, and I wanted my artistic endeavors to reflect the importance of communion and collaboration. Furthermore, I was disillusioned by the western capitalist ideal of individualistic success and the absence of unconditional love in the messages of modern music. Drawing inspiration from entities like the Native Tongues and Wu-Tang Clan, I decided to create the foundation for a collective that could simultaneously foster collaboration and communal success, while embodying values of love, sustainability, and family. This collective was Ubiquitous Love Tribe.

Starting in November 2013, when we released our first official EP “(a) brief offering,” Ubiquitous began to play shows and release music as a collective nearly non-stop. Between then and now, we performed upwards of 250 shows, including at the legendary Bananas in Leimert Park, and other famous venues like the House of Blues on Sunset and Webster Hall in New York. We also released 10 EPS as part of a monthly series in 2015, numerous solo projects from myself (as nahhphet & theLightningRodSalesman), OSIRIS8, and Prince Vimana, and two albums – one of dubious quality that I’ll let the avid listener seek out and this year’s “Banana Bread,” which is on all streaming/purchasing platforms. The membership of the collective has continuously fluctuated, as is the nature of a collective, but the values and collaborative creation have remained strong. Currently, its active members include Anubis Black, Leiah, Mana, Stark Glory, and myself.

Currently, Ubiquitous is focused on actively opening itself up to artists as a platform for exposure and collaboration, while also uplifting the works of the individual artists who are already a part of the collective. We are in the midst of a monthly summer series, “Afternoon Delight,” featuring some of our favorite artists and vendors from Los Angeles and held at Adobe House Records. We also have some singles in the works to follow up “Banana Bread,” and an album from our sister Leiah, entitled “Pearl,” coming very soon. In closing, as I’ve paid more and more dues as a white man in hip-hop, and supported POC artists through my work with Ubiquitous and as an individual, I’ve become more confident and comfortable in focusing on my own art; I recently released my tenth beattape, have an untitled album as nahhphet being recorded at the time of this interview, and a collaborative album with Stark Glory on the horizon. If you keep up for a few years, you’ll catch my first novel too.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Sometimes, honestly, the road’s been very smooth. When you’re doing something you’re passionate about and are genuine about how you do it, people can feel that and open up to it. I think that’s how Ubiquitous has found so many opportunities to perform over the years, or how our music’s been made. When the proper elements align, it’s generally smooth sailing.

That’s not to say there haven’t been any struggles, though. For me, personally, I’ve continually had to humble myself and expand my understanding of how to participate in hip-hop in a way that enriches the culture, and without being disrespectfully appropriative. That’s been balanced with knowing I’m really good at rapping, and continually having to navigate side eyes and questions like, “So you’re the producer, right?” when I meet other hip-hop artists. That keeps me on my toes though; doubt’s great at inspiring you to give your best.

There’s also been challenges that have arisen from trying to handle all the facets of an art enterprise in-house. This has pushed me to develop skills in a wide range of areas, though. I can book shows now, coordinate between large groups of people, write press releases, and design flyers and album covers. Covers are something I’ve been able to carry forward into my own work and even work for hire. In this way, I think the challenge of taking full responsibility for one’s endeavors, whatever and however multifaceted they may be, is one that rewards anyone who commits to grappling with it.

Then, of course, there have been struggles with operating as a collective. In any group setting, especially one that places equal weight on the opinions and creative impulses of all its constituents, there is bound to be conflict. I think this is something that has made us closer as a family, though. When you have to push through disagreement and genuine conflict and can do so constructively, with a higher purpose in sight, you gain a richer understanding of both yourself and the people you’re working with. Struggle or not, I hope this is something that never changes. It pushes us all to be our greatest selves.

Please tell us about Ubiquitous Love Tribe.
Ubiquitous Love Tribe is a collective that exists to uplift the art of those with values of love, family, discipline, and sustainability. We provide opportunities for collaboration with like-minded artists, open up platforms for exposure to interested audiences, and create ways for artists to be compensated for their crafts. We are best known for our work as a collaborative performance group, specifically within the realms of hip-hop and soul, but are focused on expanding our work to cement our role as a community and platform for any interested and morally-aligned artists. Overall, we are most proud of the work we have made in collaboration with one another.

Our EP series from 2015 and our recent album, “Banana Bread,” are some works that stand out as representative of our collective creative spirit. As far as what sets us apart: you’ll meet one of us to really see. One thing that’s been consistent over the years is the feeling we’re told we create when we’re operating as the Love Tribe: one of love, community, heartfelt acceptance, righteousness, and compassion. We’ll give you a really sweet hug. That’s not so common these days.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could distill them down to one, I would say I’ve learned, and am continually learning, the importance of deeply listening to and trusting yourself. This is balanced with also holding space for enrichment from other’s perspectives. It’s really easy to fall in just one of these directions, blocking out the lessons and gifts of either other or our inner voices. Holding balanced space for both allows us to develop a fuller worldview.

Overall, though, there’s been way to many lessons to recount. I might have taken the practice of art more seriously earlier on, built a team of interns, learned more about music licensing from the jump, or been more adamant sooner on about only playing paid shows… the list goes on. The lesson I take from these things is to commit more dedicatedly to them in the present.

As a small caveat, though, I truly believe everything happens in its own time. I and we have accomplished a lot of really beautiful things so far; without our mistakes and oversights, we wouldn’t have had as rewarding of a journey as we’ve had up to this point.

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Image Credit:
Tundae Mena, Maquis Scott, Ben Shmikler

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