North Carolina artist Mav Mack reminds me of a mix between J. Cole’s storytelling raps and Drake’s vocals, circa So Far Gone. It’s a deadly combination if you think about it. His sound is Bryson Tiller-esque in that it combines honest bars with beautiful harmonies. He hit my line with “It’s a Shame” this morning and I (technically) passed on it and was ready to playlist it; I felt the intro, while epic, took a bit longer than I expected. However, I clicked that I would actually write about it. So I revisited the track after that, ignored the longer intro and just let the music wash over me. In another “God Works in Mysterious Ways” moment, I had a change of heart.

Now, let’s get into “It’s a Shame.”

It’s, obviously, a solid song. From the first harmonies through the end of the song, we’re taken on a sonic (and somewhat dangerous) ride through a mix of 2000s sensual AF R&B and 2020s sadboi R&B. What makes this one “dangerous,” you ask? It deals with how certain situations can become toxic–even though you still want the person (on both sides). The song itself feels like an introspective look at how a relationship of sorts fell apart and how Mack proceeds to handle the dissolution of the situation. He essentially goes through the Five Steps of Grieving, eventually just saying “damn, it’s over. I didn’t want it to end, but it did.” Mav sings and raps his way to a bittersweet acceptance, while still considering getting back on his toxic tip with this other person. This is especially shown through the last few bars of the song.

While writing this one up, I had a chance to listen a bit through the project that this song appears on, Worry Later. Overall, the project is the musical equivalent of being by yourself on a random night, turning a bottle of tequila up to your lips, while wondering about the things that could’ve been, only to sober up and realize you were right to end it. It’s like Drake circa SFG without the whininess you’d sometimes get from ’06-’10 Drake. No shade to Mr. Graham, y’all. That era of Drake was one of my favorites. Another artist I’d like to compare the whole project to is Tory Lanez. If you liked Lanez’s style, but can’t support him, I think Mav may have what you need. Let his feelings and thoughts flood into your ears.

Plus, the brother has Murs appear on a track. ‘Nuff said.

I recommend checking this on out while you’re supporting dope music in all its forms.