If you have not been paying attention to MAVI, you should. The 24-year-old from Charlotte has been turning heads ever since releasing his debut album Let The Sun Talk in 2019. Since then, he's collaborated with Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, MIKE, and others, honing his craft and learning how to stand out in the lane he operates in. He followed Let The Sun Talk with Laughing So Hard, It Hurts in 2022, an introspective and melancholic album. He talked about his pain, both individually and as it pertains to his family. MAVI referred to it as a "heartbreak album" after a fan asked if he made a breakup album. His third LP, shadowbox, is a similarly detailed self-reflection.
shadowbox covers themes of growth, family, substance abuse, religion, and other heavy topics. The production is soulful, going from dark to more light sounds across the album. Monte Booker, TwoTone, and Beach Noise are among the names who handled the beats on this album. Where Laughing So Hard, It Hurts was largely pessimistic, shadowbox comes with a more cautious optimism. He recognizes his flaws and wants to be the best he can be. It's a noticeable change from his previous work, where it sounded like he resigned himself to being another victim in an endless cycle of pain. The result is some of his strongest rapping to date. shadowbox features one guest, R&B singer and former American Idol contestant, Malaya. Malaya is a frequent collaborator with jazz titan and hip-hop producer Terrace Martin. She recently featured on MESSIAH!'s latest album, the villain wins, which MAVI also appeared on. At 14 songs and 34 minutes, shadowbox is worth every second of your time. Stream the new album below.
MAVI - shadowbox
shadowbox tracklist:
20,000 leagues
open waters (feat. Malaya)
i did
i'm so tired
tether
the sky is quiet
latch
grindstone
drown the snake
drunk prayer
the giver
too much to zelle
testimony
my own way