Last Wednesday NYC music hall Baby’s All Right was packed to the gills for what felt like it was shaping up to be a legendary evening. The venue was sold out for DC by way of Charlotte rapper Mavi’s third ever live performance, and with L.A. rap mainstay Maxo and local legend Medhane on the bill there was a bounce that didn’t leave the crowd till the lights came on. Every time I get the chance to see Medhane rap he is more and more captivating, with each performance he brings more energy and seems to have a stronger sense of self on the mic. Similarly, you would not have guessed in a million years that this was just Mavi’s third live performance as he held down the stage like a twenty-year vet. His banter was fun and his rapping was raw and passionate, at one point damn near breaking into tears during a particularly emotional performance of Chaisma.
Before he had to ship back down to D.C. for another semester at Howard luckily Mavi had the time to hop in the studio with Medhane and Pro Era head chef Chuck Strangers for a fire new single, Myrtle. Chuck was the producer behind Joey Badass’ extremely hype early output and both Mav and Med commented that they fulfilled dreams that their fourteen-year-old selves had with this collab. Thankfully I don’t think they’d be disappointing their tweenage selves with this track. Chuck drops the two a slow and murky trumpet lead beat that feels like listening to the pitter-patter of the rain under a bodega awning, waiting for the right moment to make a mad dash for the subway.
Medhane commented that his and Mavi’s raps feel like sides of the same coin, and that sentiment rings true in that they don’t sound opposites as much as they do complimentary forces. The two hit similar cadences and are both lyrically minded artists but where Mavi reaches up in his register to yell with urgency Medhane digs deep down to provide the same power, meeting one another in the middle. While Mavi starts the track strong rapping, “I took my brother out birthday shopping off some pieces// You’ll see Jimmy Hoffa before you see me breathin heavy”. However Medhane definitely had the stand out bar, using what he aptly, and hilariously, described as “the itsy-bitsy spider rhyme-scheme”.
These two had natural chemistry rapping together on stage at Baby’s and it’s incredible to see that energy translate so well in the recording studio. Fans online were clamoring for more collabs between these two and we here at GSC pray this is the first of many, though we’ll of course let the fellas go at their own pace.
Check this single out at Soundcloud and Spotify, and follow Mavi on insta and twitter, Medhane on insta and twitter, and Chuck Strangers on insta and twitter
