Words are powerful. The things that an artist says within or outside of their music matter in a distinct way. Every rapper doesn't need to be serious or push towards a goal, but in reality, their subject matter ties to their image, considering it's a peek into their life or how they see themselves. Mavi, a 22-year-old rapper from Charlotte, uses his music as not just an explanation of himself, but how he views the world and, specifically, Black people. A deeply layered young act who raps about liberation, love, protecting women, his personal growth and more, he has amassed a loyal fan base by remaining true to himself.
A poet and high school band member, Mavi started rhyming in the ninth grade at the age of 14. He saw hip-hop as a way to express himself more than he could via other mediums. By the time he was 16, he committed to the idea that with 10 years of rapping, he would be at the top of his craft. Mavi released his first solo mixtape, Beacon, in 2016. Three years later, he dropped his first album, Let The Sun Talk. Then, the rising rhymer appeared on Earl Sweatshirt's Feet Of Clay cut "El Toro Combo Meal" in late 2019 . As heard in those mentions, Mavi's style—lyrically dense with metaphors packed in—is clever and distinct with honesty and thoughtfulness earning him fans at a rapid rate. He followed up with last year's End Of The Earth EP. Now primed for his sophomore album, Laughing So Hard It Hurts, Mavi is sticking to his goals of sharing knowledge through his music.
Just a few weeks ahead of the Oct. 14 release date of Laughing So Hard It Hurts, Mavi stopped by The Break: Live to share his mindset, inspirations and motivations. Check out the interview below.
Follow Mavi on SoundCloud and Instagram.
Standouts:
"Love, Of Money"
"Thousand Miles"
"Baking Soda"
End of the Earth