MAVI was a college student when he released this densely poetic, startlingly vulnerable debut album, originally to Soundcloud, then later more widely. To fans who grew up on more distinctly macho previous generations of MC’s, the fact that MAVI and his contemporaries are both so worldly and so in touch with their own feelings can be a little startling. The somewhat murky production, which sounds purposefully muddy and processed but has its own internal logic and a ragged beauty of its own, takes some getting used to. If those hurdles can be cleared, this is a deeply rewarding listen, where MAVI intones on the state of black America, examines his rich inner life, and on a few tracks, just bars out, in his unique poetic way.

– Nate LeBlanc