On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Dave Popkin chats with Matthew Whitaker right after his set at the 2025 DC JazzFest.
Whitaker sang his new single "I Wanna Be Heard" at the festival.
"That song is really about me. God gave me wings to fly and I'm not a child anymore. There's a fire inside that I can not ignore. I'm just staying true to that. I've always wanted to create more elements in the show. I'm singing. I'm rapping and using the vocoder as well during live performances."
Whitaker was humbled by the enthusiast crowded that greeted him at the festival stage.
"I was not expecting you'll to go off and go absolutely crazy. I loved the energy."
You can hear much more about the artists who performed at DC JazzFest right here at wbgo.org.
