North Carolina rapper MAVI is the kind of artist that labors over the content and delivery of his music more than most. Back in 2019, he told The FADER about how Toni Morrison’s work influenced his own. “She’s willing to go really far to pull you close for a message. That’s something I wanna do with my writing as much as I can.” His new song “Mama Say” follows those tenets. “My mama say I got death on me,” he raps in the beginning, “Probably the reason why I haven’t been the best homie.” This kind of vulnerability — dense, tender, and reflective — is spread throughout the song, and makes you want to reach into it as much as it feels like MAVI is reaching out. Check out a Spotify stream of the song below, followed by MAVI’s upcoming tour dates with Jack Harlow and Babyface Ray. 9/8 – Orlando, FL – The VanguardMAVI shares new song “Mama Say”
MAVI. Photo by REESESHOTIT
9/9 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
9/10 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jack Gleason Theater
9/14 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
9/15 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
9/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
9/18 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
9/21 – Detroit , MI – The Fillmore
9/23 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
9/24 – Wallingford, CT – Dome at Oakdale
9/25 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
10/25 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
10/26 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
10/29 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
10/30 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
11/2 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
11/5 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
11/6 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
11/13 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
11/16 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
11/17—Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
11/19 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre