2013 seems so long ago. The Ravens won the Super Bowl, the nation learned of a man named Edward Snowden, and Miley Cyrus was swinging half-naked from a giant wrecking ball. The year was also the last time local hip-hop hero Mvstermind put out a cohesive project, which he called Artistically Day Dreaming (A.D.D.). Over the last three years, Mvstermind has dug himself into a musical cave, pursuing a hermit-like focus on pushing himself and his music to a point that he considers comfortable and proud. Though he has worked behind the scenes on a number of other local projects (see: Con’s “Malcolm Ex”), and though he has spent countless hours in a rented van driving from state-to-state performing his catalog, Mvstermind’s lasting quietness with any semblance of new music is profound.

But almost three years to the date of A.D.D.’s release, the quietness is ceding to the spiritual roar of Mali Moolah, an ambitious new single whose message is one of black cultural wealth tied to Mvstermind’s steadfast drive dedicated to living from his music. I spent the better part of a week driving around the Metro area with Mvstermind shooting scenes for the music video, which releases today. And to think this music video almost did not come to be, as it took weeks of prying to get Mvstermind to deliver a track that he wanted the world to hear.

Since the video’s completion, I’ve seen a new energy arise out of Mvstermind. His musical hibernation is over, and he awakes from his cave with a deep hunger to have his music projected to the masses. From the banks of the Mississippi to the abandoned banks of the North side, Mvstermind examines the desire in all of us to be successful in our own right while remaining honest to oneself. This video is a reflection of Mvstermind’s previous states and successes, building upon that through the journey of his career, culminating in this moment of new music, and a new start on his path to prosperity.

The wait is over. Enjoy “Mali Moolah” below, and please share with your friends if you like the video.

Mali Moolah – Mvstermind

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