shadowbox

Charlotte, North Carolina's underground sensation MAVI is making a return after a couple of years with his third album. Following the release of his full-length debut, *Let the Sun Talk*, just before his 20th birthday, MAVI quickly gained attention. A month later, he landed a verse on “El Toro Combo Meal” from Earl Sweatshirt’s second EP *Feet of Clay*, and then further cemented his rising status with the well-received *Laughing So Hard It Hurts*, which was preceded by his debut EP, *End of the Earth*. Now, after a few singles, he’s back to , “Shadowbox”.

The album opens with “20,000 leagues,” a drumless track where MAVI raps about needing to be saved from himself. The two-part “open waters” follows, featuring cloudy, drumless production as MAVI reflects on the futility and haunting nature of creating art from suffering. “i did” introduces drums into the mix while maintaining a cloudy atmosphere, with MAVI discussing his struggles with keeping promises. “i’m so tired” strips away the drums again as he expresses a desire to be cleansed, hoping to create without emotional scars.

The track “tether” brings a glitchier, funkier vibe, with MAVI reminding listeners of the inevitability of death. On “the sky’s quiet,” he raps about causing heartbreak, hinting at unresolved matters he’ll address in due time. “latch” confronts past decisions over Madlib-inspired production, while the piano-driven “grindstone” sees MAVI addressing a particular person named Brandon, asserting his greatness.

After the skit “drown the snake,” “drunk prayer” dives into the theme of numbing pain through alcohol, with a wailing sample backing his verses. “the giver” shifts to a more introspective tone, with MAVI asking his partner for clarity over lavish keys and a solid rhythm. “too much to zelle” takes a psychedelic trap direction as MAVI regains his groove, followed by the jazzy “testimony,” where he describes himself as a living dream. The album closes with “my own ways,” a track about forging his own path, with drums only coming in near the end.

Feeling a sense of hopelessness after *Laughing So Hard It Hurts*, MAVI felt the need to rediscover how to create art, this time with a focus on visual art, fashion, interior design, and design as a broader concept and societal force. He found inspiration in the orderliness of devout religious lives, and much of *Shadowbox* is influenced by his experience with *The Black Experience in Design*, which gave him the idea that design is a form of power—the power to shape the order of things and influence how the world is structured.

MAVI - SHADOWBOX
RATING - 9.7/10

FAVORITE TRACKS - open waters, tether, drunk prayer

GENRE - Hip-Hop, Concious Rap