MAVI — Let The Sun Talk: Review
“The difference between a n***a like me and a hundred million is a couple years” — Mavi, Terms & Conditions
This is the first phrase that Charlotte-born rapper MAVI spits right out of the gate on his debut album. What follows on the project is an impressive display of low-fi production, sharp lyricism, with the rapper baring his soul and sharing his concerns, values, and aspirations. On a conceptual level Let The Sun Talk is ultimately about an ambitious kid lashing out against whatever stands in the way of his success, whether it be personal ailments or people.
Breaking it Down
MAVI was clearly not concerned with the immediate success of this record, as it was initially released on his website as one long 32-minute track, rather than split up. This act of releasing a project as one song instead of individual tracks is reminiscent of Standing On The Corner’s 2017 abstract plunderphonics album Red Burns, split into two sides, X and Y, for streaming services. MAVI maintained that this choice was purely artistic, as he wanted the album to be heard in its entirety by the listener, a choice that I admire.
MAVI is a true wordsmith, which makes sense given the context of his upbringing. He’s the son of two educators, and from what he’s said in live streams and interviews, school seemed to have come easy to him. He studies neuroscience at Howard University while maintaining a rap career and working with industry veterans on the side. MAVI spits philosophical, intimate stream-of-consciousness rhymes, either releasing them as a barrage in quick succession or soulfully delivering them in an almost spoken-word delivery. On sense, he raps:
“What kinda songs you make? / I make the kind you gotta read, baby / I leave the silence you can see baby / I weave the darkness you can hear baby / I leave my carcass in the field, baby / I parse my garden on the real daily / And you can sense it”— Mavi, Sense
Earl Sweatshirt Comparisons
On the surface, the comparisons are warranted. Earl Sweatshirt even produced a track on the record, along with MIKE, who are both artists in the same lane sonically and in their subject matter. Artists in this new low-fi abstract scene make use of loopy, occasionally distorted and choppy production. MAVI’s production is generally jazzier and less abstract, though, making use of fluttering piano keys, vocal harmonies, crackling melodies, and rhythmic drum loops. Spiritually and thematically, Earl Sweatshirt’s 2018 album Some Rap Songs is similar to Let The Sun Talk. They’re both coming of age stories of young black men grappling with the realities of a fractured America, grappling with issues of race, love, acquiring knowledge, self-understanding, and family. This is where the thematic comparisons end, though.
On Some Rap Songs, Earl is a man in mourning, grappling with the loss of his father. Ultimately, SRS ends on a hopeful note, but LTST is ubiquitously more optimistic across its runtime. Earl seems to be dealing with issues of the present, while MAVI seems to be looking ahead to the future. The two rappers have very different deliveries as well. Earl tends to rap in a lower, monotone voice, invoking feelings of depression and despondency, while MAVI tends to wander into a more aggressive territory, his higher voice occasionally breaking with emotion. At the moment, MAVI seems to be somewhat of a prodigy to Earl, even appearing on his recent Feet Of Clay EP as a standout feature, dropping one of the best verses of the project.
Final Verdict — 9/10
While I don’t think this is a perfect album, it far exceeded my expectations and is one of the best debut albums I’ve heard this year. MAVI crafted a body of work that demands multiple listens to dissect, even helping the listener out by posting all the lyrics on his website. The production is occasionally uninteresting, and MAVI isn’t discussing any mind-blowing themes or coming to any crazy eye-opening revelations, but it’s still a really great project. I encourage any hip-hop fans to give this one a listen.
Article Written by Tal Kamara | @hiphop_bible
