On November 19, 2021 rapper/producer/DJ/engineer Malo released his first full length mixtape, y-i (Fin De Gee). According to him the project was a long time coming. Having been in the Chicago music scene for the last four years, Malo had not dropped a proper full-length project for a variety of reasons. Citing personal things he was going through and wanting to sharpen his craft, from songwriting to the recording and mixing, this project is also a departure from his previous moniker, Mahrv Gee. Malo sees this as his transition into a bigger and overarching goal of pushing his BRIGADE brand forward.
The mixtape is kicked off by the high-tempo title track y-i that sets the stage for the project. It speaks on the journey and path Malo finds himself on with lyrics like, “It’s hard living for the hard knocks when the hustle is all that you got.” Track 3 Francisco finds Malo reminiscing about dealing with deportation in his family, popping wheelies, and being twenty deep while in his own words, “Chasing my fate with greatness.” A proper ode to his street, Francisco Avenue, and all the hard work he puts into his craft, the track is accompanied by a hard-hitting beat. In Feeling Bent Malo speaks to the hustle his generation sees themselves caught up in with a life filled with work and the release of doing things like going out and enjoying themselves. 38 High is inspired by being thirty-eight thousand feet in the air and shows a more relaxed side of Malo where he still finds ways to weave fast flows and sharp lines with the mostly chilled out production and writing. The mixtape’s outro New Gee has a triumphant sound to it and a catchy hook that comes off like a nod to early 2000’s hip-hop production. Malo’s confidence shines bright through lines like, “who needs keys to the city when you got it on lock?”
y-i (Fin De Gee) is available now everywhere you listen to music. Follow Malo on Instagram and Twitter (@MaloBRIGADE).
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