Last month, Maino decided to join his peers in the latest fight against systematic oppression with his single “I Can’t Breathe,” which also paid homage to the Black lives lost at the hands of police. Now, he returns with another track titled “Phases,” which features previous collaborator Lyrivelli and sees him reflecting on the troubles of the world today:
“No pain no glory, in a naked city, eight million stories, shots from his rival blew by and hit shorty, now he’s just a face on a shirt for his homies/
Mama working two jobs, daddy in the pen, daughter on the pole getting touched by the men, funerals is packed, police on attack, courtrooms is crowded, how it feels being Black/
I’m a block away from hell, a shot away from heaven, I’m a couple bricks away from a whole life sentence, to the grind I’m committed, my mind said lets get it, fanatic for my dreams, couple screws from a menace/”
The track comes with a dope visual that’s directed by Qasquiat and shows Maino roaming around the empty street of New York like Will Smith in I Am Legend. He even brings along a canine costar and speaks to mannequins, a perfect reimagining of the the 2007 classic film.
Over the past year, Maino has continues to keep his singles consistent. In addition to the more recent Mother’s Day tribute “Hold You Down,” the Brooklyn veteran has delivered hard-hitting loosies like “Motivation,” “Love & Loyalty” with Manolo Rose, and a remix of Casanova and Fabolous’ street hit “So Brooklyn.” He’s also broken into the podcast game with his show “Kitchen Talk,” which sees him and cohosts Georgie and Ricky speaking on various street topics, from the snitching code to more humorous stories that his audience can relate to.
You can press play on “Phases,” as well as the latest episode of “Kitchen Talk,” below.