Mvstermind

Muhammad Austin might go by “Mvstermind,” but his countenance is quite humble. In person, he’s one of those rare artists with both a chill affect and sincere ardor. That same balance is cultivated in every track of his recently released album, “Cusp,” whether tackling existential questions of space and time, or in a more political vein, the history of police brutality against black men. One sunny Saturday afternoon, we had the chance to sit down with Mvstermind and chat about everything from gangsta rap and desegregation in public schools to what it’s like growing up with a whole bunch of sisters (he has four). After the hour, one thing was clear: this artist is on the cusp of greatness—not only within the robust hip-hop community of St. Louis, but also within the genre at large.

In many of your songs, like “Ain’t no Water in the Water Tower,” you directly reference your St. Louis roots. How did growing up on the North Side affect you?
I actually spent time all over St. Louis—I lived on the state streets near the river on the South Side, then on Russell St., then the North Side, where I spent the majority of my life. My parents bought an LRA house [Land Reutilization Authority], which was in rough condition when they bought it, but my father is a carpenter and turned it into a really nice home for us. In my video “Mali Moolah,” you can see the house, but since we moved out it’s fallen into disrepair.

Your sound often has a confrontational tone distinctive to hip-hop, but it also comes across as more philosophical and openly suspicious of consumer culture. In other words, your persona confirms some expectations of the genre but resists others. Was that a choice?
It’s subconscious, but once I realized it and became conscious of my natural direction, that’s what I wanted to tackle. The album is called “Cusp” because I’m on the cusp of these two realms—me, living in the grid, a “rapping-rapper,” embracing that hip-hop culture, and then the meditative finding-my-purpose-in-a-cornfield Muhammad.

How do you feel about the shift in mainstream hip-hop from “gangsta rap” to “luxury rap”?
Growing up during this shift, did it influence the way you conceived of the genre in terms of your own distinct sound? I grew up in the time of gangsta rap, but my parents would only let me listen to the conscious stuff. My sisters were heavily involved in the music scene— the very conscious black musical movement in hip hop, like Talib Kweli’s “Reflection Eternal,” Common’s “Like Water for Chocolate” and “Black on Both Sides.” These conscious artists all played a role in the 2000s, and I was always listening. At the same time, I spent a lot of time with my cousins listening to Southern gangsta rap. At that age I wanted to be cool, I wanted to be hip, but I had to go through the process of becoming me. But just growing up, trying to find my way, I could never totally find myself in that style of gangsta rap. You’ll never catch me singing about shooting folks in my raps. I like to be honest, and that’s not something I could ever stand for.

dh4a0608

In the track “Mali Moolah,” you sing, “I know what I’m worth, don’t need no money.” It feels like a kind of defiant resistance against credos like “all you need is your paper,” a conflation of capital with identity.
It is a defiant resistance to conflating money with identity, but at the same time I also understand why people equate the two. I want people to go get their money, make it happen, but without stripping themselves of what they’re really worth. I’m not about putting down rappers who value money, but rather the question is, “How can we better spend that money? Funnel it back into our communities so that we are not doing whatever it takes to get it?”

You’re from a creative family. How did that enable your trajectory as an artist?
We did a lot of traveling while we were young. We are the dreamers; that’s always been our family: not following societal norms, buying and living in an LRA house without electricity. But the job my Dad had enabled me to stay at the Clayton school where I was. My family’s diligence made that happen.

It also seems like courage to me—to live life in a way that people don’t expect you to, and do it for a greater goal.
I took what they gave me and that’s what I talk about in my music. If you strip down my song “Finesse Bless,” it’s basically saying, “Life is going to be real. It’s gonna hit you and it’s gonna smack you. But no matter what, you’re presented with an opportunity. You can get the good from the bad. Finesse its blessings.” I haven’t really broken down these parts of my story to people yet. My sister, when she was in high school, did her homework by the light of a kerosene heater. It was a digestible moment for me when I was a child, because I was like, “Yo, we’re making it happen.” In my eyes it showed our resilience. I talk a lot about the desegregation program in my music as well, like in the song “Ain’t No Water in the Water Tower.” I talk about being bussed out to the county. Back then the deseg program was new to teachers, and sometimes you could still feel the awkwardness. But at the same time, to me it was a big blessing. Even in Clayton, though, the community was frustrated with the program. At one time I remember my entire school staged a walk out to continue it. Those things completely shaped who I am today. The topic is so dear to me.

As a black person, St. Louis can be a uniquely fraught place to grow up. How did that affect you?
I was aware of that—my family broke it down for us. We were always the Afro-centric ones. I see it now with the Delmar divide. I’ll be walking by myself and see it, and being bussed out to Clayton was a whole new world. My parents experienced a lot of racism. They were turned down for an apartment in Clayton, and my mom decided to change her voice on the phone to see if that would make any difference. Coming from a Muslim family as well, that exposed me to a lot of Middle Eastern culture in the city as well. We grew up as very open-minded individuals, conscious of our own identity, but at the same time we were also very open to newnesss.

Your latest album starts in the clouds with the refrain “High in the sky for so long that you missed the surface,” but at the end of the album, you refer to the sky with the verse “too close to God, too close to heaven,” which has a very different tone—more triumphant. The song seems to be about black pride.
The last song is called “Red Light on the Vending Machine” because the machine is lit when it needs to be changed. Throughout history, even with things being pretty much miserable, we in the black community haven’t been. We’ve always used our creative energy to make change. It goes back to “finessing the blessings.” It goes back to getting the best you can out of a negative experience. Throughout black history, you see us rejoicing; you see us making things happen; you see us in the prime of culture. In the midst of that, you use your creativity. That’s what our ancestors have done from the get-go. The spark of creativity is always a light in the dark.

Photography by Attilio D’Agostino - Alive Magazine

Former HipHopDX Features Editor Andre Grant said in his “Defense Of The Struggle Rapper” editorial, “Out of all the things the Hip Hop web has vilified, the “struggle rapper” might be the least deserving of all that ridicule.” Before Kendrick Lamar became big enough for Barack Obama to sing his praises or Drake found himself making deals with Apple, they were artists without a significantly large fanbase attempting what seemed like the impossible. Hitting the top of the charts became a distant goal to making past one hundred streams of a song possibly made within the confines of their bedroom walls and gaining likes, re-post or anything else that would reach someone. Providing a weekly outlet for those getting their feet wet in the sometimes brutal sport of Hip Hop, allow us to give readers a look into tomorrow’s possibilities through “Up NeXt.”

“I’ve Done 20,000 Miles Of Independent Touring With My Team, With No Label, Nor Management” Says Saint Louis Native

Inspiration For Career

“I’ve been straight up producing for artists since the age of 13. I had my beats popping on Myspace, Bebo, BlackPlanet, SoundClick you name it (laughs). I’ve always been a student of music and involved in music creation in some shape or form but more behind the scenes until I finally mustered up enough confidence to express myself vocally over my own production. Ever since then it was no looking back after watching everyone else performing on stage. I knew it was my time. A lot of people end up having their pregame winning shot, but after mine, a brother isn’t gonna fade away for real, though. This music thing was never a hobby, I was serious about it from the jump. Shortly afterward, I found the MME collective with my bros, and we’ve been creating ever since.”

Do you believe you have a shot at stardom?



“I’ve already had my video “Mali Moolah” stayed in rotation on BET and MTV for months, and here I was talking about knowing my worth since birth on national television. “Mali Moolah” is a track that I produced, engineered, and recorded in my parent’s basement with my $2000 to $3000 dollars to set up. I sternly believe that this is a part of my purpose. I took a leap a year-and-a-half ago and quit my full-time job, and decided to be self-sufficient off of my musical endeavors. I got one hell of a vision that I plan on executing. I’ve done 20,000 miles of independent touring with my team, with no label nor management. We’ve shared stages with Chance the Rapper, Travis Scott, Curren$y, Ab-Soul, you name it. I’m kind of a different breed when it comes to this whole dreaming thing, at a young age I was taught anything I put my mind to is obtainable, and I’m about to continuously prove that theory right. I try to stay in touch with myself and my position in the universe. Everything has been aligned for me so perfectly, simply because I know my reactions determine the outcome of any situation, that’s the one thing I can control in this world. Either life can kick your ass, or you can level up real quick. Plus you know you’re in the right place if you’re constantly surrounded by the movers and shakers in this globe. If you ain’t on shit, odds are that your circle isn’t either. Luckily my artist friends/connections consist of folks actually out here, G-Eazy, Hugh Augustine The MC, DJ Track Star (from Run The Jewels), Black Spade, founders of tech startups, my folks in MME is some of the coldest rappers I know. The list goes on. Also, it seems as if the city of Saint Louis actually has a brother’s back.The music culture here is waking up, independent Hip Hop is packing out some of the most prestigious venues in the city. We honestly haven’t been popping as a musical city since folks wore band aids under their eye as style. That speaks volumes.”

Project(s)

“I just finished what would be my debut EP titled the Cusp. I produced and recorded myself, and it’s my journey to self-discovery and self-actualization. When you’re living in two realms, you’re balanced in another. We’re on the cusp. I consider it the prelude to two other albums I have in the works conceptually, and each one will embody the two separate realms.”



Twitter: @Mvstermind

Instagram: @Mvstermind - Hip Hop DX

St.Louis native, Mvstermind has been steadily pushing himself toward the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact he leaves us with an antidote, “when you’re living in two realms you’re balanced in another. We’re on the Cusp”. I interpret the Cusp to be Mvstermind’s journey of self discovery and self actualization. Upon listening I found myself entering a trance, following Mvstermind between realms. Originally I thought I could record my first reactions to each song but soon realized that this wouldn’t be impossible. I think the real secret to listening to this EP is to let go of your conscious state and let Mvstermind take the lead. The first track doesn’t waste any time, appropriately reciting, ‘hit the ground running’. Immediately you know you are going to be taken on a journey perhaps similar to your own. There are common themes seen throughout the project that revolve around obtaining the dream, survival, ambition and the will to create victory. Rather than chasing a dream, Mvstermind ‘finesses his blessings’. I find a lesson to be learned here, in my life I have moments of doubt, why am I not where or who I want to be? As if it should have just occurred, I was waiting for a moment that would never come. I was indeed blessed but what was I doing with I had? Nothing. I love this term to ‘finesse your blessings’, you may not have everything but you have the power of the universe inside you, you have the energy… just add a little finesse - TeamBackPack

Mvstermind is part of a sick, up-and-coming hip-hop collective, MME (Mediate, Meditate, Elevate). The group’s message is to push musicians beyond their music, creating all-encompassing artists and collectives. This collective is comprised of Lyrique, Ciej, Con, and Dante. Mvstermind, the 24-year-old rapper and producer, intends to connect his life philosophies into his music. “We’re all spiritual people, and it’s like a form of therapy” he told STL Today in an interview last month. He first garnered the attention of fans with his “80-D,” a track off his latest full length A.D.D. The vibe is fresh, new hip-hop beats with ethereal undertones and competitive flows. “80-D” was released back in 2013, and has left fans anxiously waiting for what’s to come of the St. Louis collective. - Complex Magazine

One of 75 reasons we love St. Louis in 2016
By Christian Schaeffer

Mvstermind is showing off his city, and ours.

Mvstermind is showing off his city, and ours.
Muhammad "Mvstermind" Austin is hardly the first hip-hop artist to rap about money — talking up your bankroll is part of the game — but on this year's single "Mali Moolah," Mvstermind deployed his characteristic frankness to talk up the struggles of getting paid. As an artist whose mind is usually attuned to a higher calling, he settles on something more than dollar signs: "I knew my worth since birth / I don't need no money."

The song is a stunner on its own, but the accompanying video is a personal and expansive view of the artist and his environment. The clip offers both a birdseye and on-the-street view of St. Louis, but it's not one likely to be used by the regional tourism board. We follow Austin from the city's urban core — the Moolah Theatre on Lindell, a payday loan joint on Jefferson, a Save A Lot parking lot — to grand vistas of a greened-over flood plain and an early-spring reverie on a riverbank. Director Louis Quatorze captures the vastness of these landscapes with quick, immersive cuts and drone-assisted overviews, but Austin stays in the center of the frame, his clear, piercing eyes locked on yours. The video's emotional payoff finds the rapper in his childhood home, now vacant, blown-out and on the verge of collapse.

The local hip-hop community has been keyed into Mvstermind and his MME crew for a few years, but it was no small victory that the "Mali Moolah" video introduced the wider world to Austin's slice of STL when it was broadcast on June 3 on the channel BET Jams. Even if it was only for four minutes, Mvstermind's vision and talent filled TV screens coast to coast. - Riverfront Times

"We’re on the cusp of something. I don’t know if it’s too damn great, but it’s something.”
A little less than five months ago, St. Louis producer, rapper, and sound engineer Mvstermind debuted the music video for his single, “Mali Moolah.” By early July, the video had made its first appearance on BET Jams. Since then, “Mali Moolah” has been picked up by nearly all of the major music television networks.

Asked what it means to him to turn on the TV and see himself alongside superstars like Jay-Z and Drake, Mvstermind (a.k.a. Muhammad Austin) says, “It really feels great, especially with it being ‘Mali Moolah.’ It could’ve been a song about me stuck in my feelings about an old relationship.”

Instead, Austin’s introduction to mainstream audiences across the nation is a socially- and spiritually-conscious effort that diverges sharply from much of what commercial hip-hop — and popular music in general — has to offer.

“The fact that I can get on national television and talk about knowing my worth since birth… It’s blissful,” he says. “It reminded me that songs that I have in-depth concepts on, concepts that connect to the universe, I should focus on those.”

Friday night, Austin will officially release the rest of the EP containing “Mali Moolah,” — entitled Cusp — at the Loop’s newest music venue, Delmar Hall.

The “cusp” — like just about every theme that arises in Austin’s work — is multifaceted, containing layers of meaning which intertwine and play off one another to create a dense conceptual web. He says that in terms of his musical career, “this is the actual cusp. We’re right here on the brink of something major.” And it’s hard to disagree with him, given his steadily increasing notoriety both here in St. Louis and around the nation.

“At the same time,” he continues, “everything that’s going on in this society, this upcoming election, the way the climate has been… We’re on the cusp of something. I don’t know if it’s too damn great, but it’s something.”

Austin also describes it as a way of understanding the internal balance he needs to achieve and maintain to be his best self.

“I write a lot about the situations that I encounter as an African-American male, or just as an African-American, period,” he says. “At the same time, I write a lot about self-realization, and meditation, and trying to find your purpose — and then manifesting those kinds of philosophy and ideals into my life.”

Finding the appropriate balance, however, hasn’t always been easy for Austin.

“At times, I would catch myself so lost in the world of finding myself and just meditating, and that whole world…” he trails off thoughtfully before snapping back. “We still live on this grid. We can’t ignore it. As much as we want to, as much bullshit as is around, we have to learn how to be a part of this grid and still find your purpose, still retain yourself, retain your self-worth.”

One of the experiences that really drove home the importance of this internal balance for Austin was his time protesting in Ferguson after the death of Michael Brown in August 2014.

“There’s times when I kind of stopped everything I was doing and I was just out there at the protest, and that wasn’t necessarily the best mission for me,” he reflects, confiding that his temperament was more likely to be counterproductive in such contentious and emotionally-charged situations.

“I’d probably defeat myself before I ever faced the actual enemy,” he says. “There’s other people out there where that’s perfect; that aligns with them. But I was out there and I wasn’t using my full value that I could to the overall goal and mission.”

While direct action wasn’t a good fit for Austin, he still intends to be a part of the movement. In fact, much of the subject matter covered on the Cusp EP is informed by the experiences he had in Ferguson, as well as their aftermath.

“My whole mission is to use my art as a platform to spark some change. In the midst of it, we gon’ turn up,” he says. “In the midst of it, we gon’ get hip. In the midst of it, you gon’ feel certain emotions, but the whole overall purpose is to build that platform.”

Summing up the titular concept of the album he’ll be releasing on Friday at Delmar Hall, Austin says, “I feel like me being right here on the cusp, that’s what allows me to complete my mission.”

Watch the video for "Mali Moolah" below: - Riverfront Times

St. Louis’ Mvstermind releases his first music video of the year. “Mali Moolah” is a spiritual journey through Mvstermind’s past, evoking scenes and moments of his previous work that reveals a driven rapper, producer, and engineer who makes music work for him. From the banks of the Mississippi to abandoned banks in the set, the passion and precision of Mvstermind’s goals radiates from his gaze, supplemented by moving images from award-winning director Louis Quatorze.

In the final moments, the viewer is left with the lasting impression that even in the most dangerous city in America, anything is possible. - HipHopDX

St.Louis native Mvstermind is back on the music scene after taking time to perfect his sound and the wait was well worth it. In the words of Kanye, ‘Lock yourself in a room doing 5 beats a day for 3 summers
/That’s a Different World like Cree Summer’s/I deserve to do these numbers’. Well three summers have passed and ‘Mali Moolah’ is the unexpected result of his hard work and diligence.
After being introduced to his music, it was clear there was more to been uncovered and so a simple video release turned into a need to know interview. So I hopped on the phone with the up and coming artist and got some answers!
So truth be told ‘Mali Moolah’ was never intended to even come out, that’s right the song was originally tossed aside. Mvstermind explained that he revisited the track only after noticing it’s popularity amongst friends and peers.
Ultimately it seems like fate that ‘Mali Moolah’ came to be, the song itself is a affirmation calling on the universe to to work at our will. Because the bottom line is you have to believe in your own success before it comes to you . ‘Mali Moolah’ is that track to either motivate or inspire you to build your own empire.
But wait there is more to it, when discussing the song with Mvstermind he stressed the importance of looking below the surface . To the causal and careless listener this is a song about making money an all to common theme of the genre. In reality the track has powerful origins. At one time the country of Mali was flourishing of mathematics, astronomy, literature, and art. In 1300, the Mali Empire covered an area twice the size of France and stretched to the west coast of Africa. But in the late 19th century, during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali, making it a part of French Sudan and such after Mali much like other countries suffered. In many ways Mvstermind is referencing wealth that was stripped from an entire people. Although Mali is no longer wealthy in dollars they have been known for their spiritual dedication. Hence the importance of knowing ones worth, particularly as black person on this earth. This is significant in two ways; society would like us to believe that the black experience started with slavery or colonization, as school curriculum and popular culture have yet to entertain a time before that. A time when Mali was apart of an Empire. And as for the present day many black men and women who have acquired wealth but lack knowledge of their self worth don’t necessarily know who they are but are assimilating to a life they always wanted. So we come back to where we started, one must be rich in spirit and pocket.When asked, if he finds this idolization of money problematic Mvstermind said something very special to me, which is; the act of acquiring money can be righteous. And could be more appropriately phased as building or providing for your community , self and family.
So who is Mvstermind , well that has yet to be defined, adamant about not being boxed in or labeled it is clear that his music will transcend the typical boundaries placed in hip hop culture. Mvstermind best describes himself as a ‘student of music’ using songs to capture moments in time. Saying, ‘what I put into my music is a lifestyle’ Drawing inspiration from Pharoah Sanders to his favorite current artists like, Andre 3000, Kanye West , Anderson .Paak, Thundercat , Flying Lotus , and Tyler the Creator.
With a new project slated to release in late summer/ early fall and a touring collective behind him ‘Mediate Meditate Elevate’ we are so excited to see what’s in store. Half perfectionist and half free spirit there’s really no telling what’s next for the St. Louis native.
We do know this , St.Louis is waiting to be put on the map and when asked about the scene there, Mvstermind said bluntly, ‘St.Louis is the kind of place where people go to college and don’t come back, people haven’t come back to cultivate the culture’. Which is why when people think St. Louis Nelly is still what comes to mind. I can’t promise anything but it sounds like TBP may need to take a trip to St. Louis and do what we do best.
#PushTheCulture - TeamBackPack

When life gets too real it goes beyond three dimensions and straight to 80. Figure out what’s real and what’s fake in your life as you watch this video. The track is produced by Mvstermind. - The Source Magazine

The day after Michael Brown was shot, Muhammad Austin, known musically as Mvstermind, left a protest in Clayton, returned home, sat down in his room, and produced a song addressing the tensions and frustrations he felt regarding Brown’s death. Austin is one artist among great many painters, graphic designers, actors, and musicians producing work to give voice to their thoughts on the shooting of Michael Brown. - NPR. Saint Louis Public Radio

Mvstermind is a growing young talent -- a producer, rapper and frontman for St. Louis rapping and singing collective M.M.E. His most recent album A.D.D. (Artistically Day Dreaming) is just a taste of his clever wordplay, with the album's title referencing Mvstermind's childhood diagnosis of attention deficit disorder. His musical influence began at home with his father, and later grew with inspiration from musicians like John Coltrane, Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West. Mvstermind sees his version of hip-hop as a mosaic of different sounds which come together to create a diverse aesthetic.
-Tara Mahadevan - Riverfront Times

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. - Delux Magazine

He’s also the ringleader of M.M.E., a collective of young local rappers and vocalists, Together, they’re the most active players on the local performance circuit, and have already been featured on MTV, iTunes, The Source, and Pandora. Their single “80-D” was featured nationwide through Charter’s On-Demand service, and in 2013 M.M.E was nominated for Producer of the Year, Best Video, Best Group, and Artist of the Year at the St. Louis Underground Music Awards - Jorie Jacobi

Led by rapper and producer Mvstermind (Muhammad Austin), this crew of versatile hip-hop artists was on fire in 2013, grinding out shows, collaborating with other musicians, releasing joint and individual albums, and tirelessly promoting the heck out of all of it through every social-media channel out there. With talent and chutzpah to spare, 2014 could be the year that M.M.E. become household initials. - Riverfront Times

Mvstermind’s creative prowess comes from allowing his craft to completely engross him. Instead of shunning the rapid-firing of ideas in his head, he explores them, dissects them, collects the good ones, and maps out a plan to actualize them. The product is crack. - Chypher League

He is simply and complicatedly brilliant. And brilliance in Hip Hop should be celebrated.

This guy is a one of a kind, and needs to stay busy. He can carry a massive load of dropped weight in Hip Hop throughout the years. Spread his music. There is a lot more to come out of this artist. He is a powerhouse. - Soul Anchor Collective

A buzzmaking rapper and producer repping North St. Louis, Mvstermind introduces himself to our readers with 80-D, a fresh cut off his latest digital full-length. Over his own boardwork, an intricately-textured blend of crisp hip-hop percussion and ethereal samples, the Midwesterner trades contemplative verses with fellow first-time featurees - Dj Booth

Another promising quality of this album is the musicality that lies behind each track. The tracks on this album features synths more as a texture to create pulsing, throbbing low frequency bass lines that hypnotize you whether listening in the day or at night. The hooks and the instrumentals that Mastermind Einstein writes are like the night: subtle and powerful. - Hip-Hop Speak easy

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. - Delux Magazine

Mvstermind: The new hope. Producer/Emcee?Leader of MME crew, Mvstermind in force to be reckon with. His ethereal sound is fresh and geniune. A constant inspiration. - Pretty Good Music

For Mvstermind, originality is second-nature, and in his pursuit of music, it is something for which he doesn't strive because he is: original. A.D.D. (Artistically Day Dreaming) is the fruit of Mvstermind's originality; a mixtape that sounds like nothing else you've ever heard and that exists as an introspective into the mind of a young adult in the 21st century. - OnSTL

With rapper and producer Muhammad Austin working tirelessly at the helm of local hip-hop's synergistic movement through M.M.E. (one of our eight bands to watch), Mvstermind Einstein proves that Isaac Newton's first law of motion -- that an object in motion stays in motion -- is completely true. Austin doesn't rest, and St. Louis' hip-hop scene gets a big A+ because of it. - Riverfront Times

His backing tracks can be syrupy and hazy, leading to some alternating soulful and outré grooves. By collaborating with some top-notch female vocalists (Dharma Jean, Sixella Yoccum), Austin brings a touch of celestial harmonies to his catchall songs, especially as he takes such liberties in modulating his own voice. Kayla Steen's ethereal, set-closing "Reverie" (a collaboration with Adult Fur's Ryan McNeely) ends the overstuffed album on a high note. - Riverfront Times

Muhammad Austin leads a little army of young hip-hop heads armed with poetics and positivity, and his work as Mvstermind is on display with A.D.D. True to its title, the sonics are all over the map, but Austin and his crew show range and versatility here. - Riverfront Times