Whenever Beyoncé or the rest of the Knowles family faces online scrutiny, Mathew Knowles is front and center to defend. But he also speaks up for himself when he feels people aren't giving him the respect he deserves.
In a resurfaced 2018 radio interview clip shared by The Neighborhood Talk, the 73-year-old (then 66) went on Streetz 94.5 in Atlanta. When one of the hosts called him by his first and last name, he interrupted with an important clarification.
"Nobody calls me Mathew," Beyoncé's former manager told the radio host. "It's Mr. Knowles. I'm 66 and a grown-a** man that's accomplished a lot of things. [...] In their 60s, you say Mr. and Mrs. My mama would be really disappointed. [...] People that call me Mathew are people that I know that have been friends of mine. We were in the same circles, financial circles, and those type of meetings. But nobody..."
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Of course, Mathew Knowles has done a lot to solidify this respect. He managed Destiny's Child and also managed his daughter Solange, so his musical and business contributions to his family and beyond are indelible.
In other instances, Mr. Knowles always supports his extended family. He expressed praise and admiration for his granddaughter Blue Ivy following her performances on her mother Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE tour. "I remember coming back stage in London to the Renaissance concert and asking about you," he wrote on social media. "Beyoncé replied 'she is there rehearsing' and then I understood why because one of your friends had commented negatively about your first performance on the tour. In that moment I was so proud that you wanted to put in the work to get better."
The rest of the message for Blue Ivy was very sweet, encouraging, proud, and heartfelt. It also joins the decorated music executive's other staunch defenses of his family, even the more combative clap-backs.
Despite Mathew Knowles' divorce from Tina in 2011 after a 31-year marriage, he will never stop standing up for himself and for his loved ones. Since this was an interview clip from 2018, we can hope the media learned Mr. Knowles' lesson.
