Bio
Bio
ABOUT
Khari Mateen is a composer, producer, songwriter, string arranger, and multi-instrumentalist whose work bridges film, television, soul, hip-hop, R&B, pop, and experimental music. Known for emotional storytelling and wide musical range, he brings a distinctive voice to documentary, narrative film, and popular music.
Originally from Bakersfield, California, Mateen moved to Philadelphia at 17 and began his career in the city’s community of musicians, producers, and artists. His first major credit came at 19, contributing to The Roots’ Grammy-nominated album Game Theory. He went on to contribute to Rising Down and the Grammy-nominated Undun, building an early résumé rooted in collaboration, live musicianship, and forward-thinking production. Today he composes and produces from his studio in Austin, Texas.
Mateen has worked with artists including Jill Scott, James Poyser, J*DaVeY, Son Little, Shaun Ross, Kiah Victoria, Cody Simpson, STS, RJD2, and Teddy Swims. In 2026 he contributed to Jill Scott’s To Whom This May Concern, her first full-length album in more than a decade, featuring Too $hort, Ab-Soul, JID, and Tierra Whack. With Teddy Swims, he has worked as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and string arranger. He played cello and percussion, sang background vocals and arranged the strings on “Goodbye’s Been Good to You,” and played cello and arranged the strings on “What More Can I Say.”
Mateen sings and plays cello, bass, guitar, and drums. He has toured as a bassist, vocalist, and musical director, including as Cody Simpson’s musical director. He has also released several solo projects and a collaborative album with Atlanta rapper STS.
Mateen began composing for the screen in 2008 with the feature film Explicit Ills. He then collaborated with Emmy-winning producer Marc Levin on the Sundance Channel series Brick City, a Peabody Award winner and Emmy nominee. Since then he has scored documentaries, films, and series for Netflix, HBO, ESPN, Hulu, Prime Video, PBS, CNN, Showtime, Paramount Network, Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube Originals. Whether scoring a film, leading a live band, or making records, collaboration remains at the center of his work.
His screen credits include Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Fyre Fraud, The Pharmacist, LuLaRich, Really Love, Stockton on My Mind, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, Student Athlete, Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible, D. Wade: Life Unexpected, Stanley Nelson’s Vick for ESPN’s 30 for 30, NOVA’s The Violence Paradox, The Price of Freedom, ACORN and the Firestorm, and We Could Be King.
Most recently, Mateen scored 14 Days in Gainesville for ESPN’s 30 for 30, Jane Elliott Against the World, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Soccer Meets America for Roku, and Hard Hat Riot for PBS’s American Experience. His work reflects a continued commitment to stories about culture, justice, identity, and the human experience, with a sound that is both intimate and cinematic.
SELECTED WORK
Film & Television — Original Music
2026 — Soccer Meets America — Roku
2026 — Jane Elliott Against the World
2026 — 14 Days in Gainesville — ESPN 30 for 30
2025 — Hard Hat Riot — PBS / American Experience
2024 — Stone Mountain
2024 — Homegrown
2023 — Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal — Netflix — with Danielle Furst
2022 — Bug Out — Prime Video — with Danielle Furst
2021 — Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible — Showtime
2021 — LuLaRich — Prime Video — with Danielle Furst
2021 — The Price of Freedom — CNN Films
2021 — Really Love — Netflix
2020 — Stockton on My Mind — HBO
2020 — I Promise — YouTube Originals
2020 — D. Wade: Life Unexpected — ESPN
2020 — The Pharmacist — Netflix — with Danielle Furst
2020 — Vick — ESPN 30 for 30
2019 — The Violence Paradox — PBS / NOVA
2019 — Fyre Fraud — Hulu — with Danielle Furst
2018 — Student Athlete — HBO Sports
2018 — Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story — Paramount Network — with Danielle Furst
2017 — Time: The Kalief Browder Story — Netflix — with Danielle Furst
2017 — ACORN and the Firestorm — PBS / Independent Lens
2016 — Keepers of the Game — Apple TV
2015 — Notes From Liberia
2014 — We Could Be King
2014 — Hell Week — ESPN
2014 — Chicagoland — CNN
2013 — Jersey Strong — Pivot
2012 — Second Coming? Will Black America Decide the 2012 Election — BET
2011 — Prayer for a Perfect Season — HBO
2011 — Case Sensitive
2009–2011 — Brick City — Sundance Channel
2008 — Explicit Ills
Albums & Artist Projects
Khari Mateen — Braving — 2018
STS x Khari Mateen — Better on a Sunday — 2018
Khari Mateen — Wishful Thinking — 2014
Khari Mateen — Wait for Sunrise — 2012
Khari Mateen — Khari EP — 2011
Credits
Teddy Swims — “Goodbye’s Been Good to You” — cello, percussion, background vocals, string arrangement
Teddy Swims — “What More Can I Say” — cello, string arrangement
Performance Credits
2018 — “Cabin” — Goody Grace — cello
2018 — “Pretend” — Goody Grace — cello
2016 — “Feeling Whitney” — Post Malone — cello
2016 — The Rocky Horror Picture Show — bass guitar
2015 — Free — Cody Simpson — bass
2013 — “See You Leave” — RJD2 — vocals
2010 — “Beautiful” — Vivian Green — cello
Production & Collaboration Credits
Jill Scott — To Whom This May Concern — 2026
STS x Khari Mateen — Better on a Sunday — 2018
Nao Yoshioka — The Truth — 2016
Son Little — “Toes” — co-production — 2015
Tess Henley — High Heels & Sneakers — 2013
Jill Scott — The Light of the Sun — 2011
The Roots — Undun — 2011
JDaVeY — Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes — 2009
The Roots — Rising Down — 2008
J*DaVeY — The Beauty in Distortion / The Land of the Lost — 2007
Jill Scott — The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 — 2007
Skillz — “Crazy World” — 2007
The Roots — Game Theory — 2006
Commercial & Brand Work
Sprite / The FADER — original music
American Eagle — Live Your Life Project — music producer
Musical Direction
Cody Simpson — 2014–2015
Fundamental Films — China — 2008–2010
Mixing
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