Matchstik was born in Fort Camble, Kentucky and raised in Dothan, Alabama. At age nine, Matchstik’s parents separated and a few months later his father attempted suicide. Matchstik’s father, who was formerly a soldier in the United States Army Reserves, abandoned Matchstik’s family, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings on her own. Without a father figure in his life, Matchstik found a home in the streets with drug dealers. It wasn’t long before Matchstik himself began selling cocaine. At age 13, Matchstik had his first run in with the law. Matchstik had his second arrest at age 14 for possession of crack cocaine. Thereafter, Matchstik joined forces with the local king pin, who also happened to be his mother’s boyfriend. From the ages of 13 through 16, Matchstik and the local king pin worked together moving 3 to 4 kilos of crack cocaine per week. Then, after his third arrest at age 16, Matchstik realized he had to turn his life around. Matchstik left the life of dealing behind, dropped out of high school and passed his G.E.D. He also went on to attend college, and ultimately joined the Navy at age 20. After completing four years of service in the Navy, he decided to leave the South and follow his musical aspirations on the West Coast. Matchstik is now living in Los Angeles, California where he is pursuing a career in music. His energetic and innovative beats, witty rhymes and clever choruses are just what the Hip-Hop industry needs. Matchstik has collaborated with numerous local artists in various locations throughout the United States ranging from the East Coast, the Dirty South, and the West Coast. Matchstik has also opened up for Joe Buddins and Sean Paul (the Reggae Artist) in Winnipeg, Canada! He has over 53,000 plays on Myspace. Matchstik is an impressive 25-year-old who is one of America's next Hip-Hop stars. Uniquely talented, Matchstik does not only write his own rhymes but also produces his own beats. This is live from the den of MatchstikRepublik.com