Premiere: Perth's MALI JO$E shares the video for his latest, i ain't scared to die soon

Everyone knew that MALI JO$E was going to have a big 2021, but from the sounds of things, it's only just begun. The breakthrough Fremantle hip-hop duo - composed of MALI and his production-half, OJC43 - have continually gone from strength to strength since their entrance in 2019, with every single furthering the pair's distinct and innovate vision and how it comes to life across a variety of mediums, from in recording, to the visual/creative side of things, right through to his presence on the live stage, as a go-to addition for line-ups around Western Australia.

In 2021, MALI has been quick to make the year his own. After sharing a string of singles throughout the 12 months prior, he launched into the year with Portals, a searing return that further amplified his vision and the genre-swerving, versatile range of sounds that he uses to present this vision to the forefront. Then, last week, came his second single for the year in i ain't scared to die soon, which arrived alongside news of a forthcoming mixtape scheduled for release in August; a release that's sure to solidify his craft while showing how it can move over a longer-format release.

I ain't scared to die soon is a brilliant showcase at what MALI does best. OJC43 carves out a production that feels forward-thinking and adventurous, with shuttering bass kicks hitting amongst a tapestry of bouncy and slightly left-field melodies, in which MALI is able to navigate with ease. MALI's lyricism is - as always - at its best too, indebted to the storytelling-like nature of some of hip-hop's most acclaimed and influential, full of empowerment and validation as he depicts his thoughts surrounding death in a way that inspires, more than anything else.

"Sometimes having reflection on life to see how far you’ve come is all you need to assure yourself that your moving in the right direction," he says on the single. "Truly I'm not scared to die at all, to be honest. But I'm not scared to die because I know I’ve lived and living the best life I can, because I know who I am, I am who I am, I achieved so much and I’ll die for something and never stand for nothing."

Today, however, we gather to premiere the official video clip to i ain't scared to die soon, which sees MALI link up with collaborator Dylan Guy for relatively dark and twisted video, that sits in-line with the single's warped and innovative production, right through to the underlying heaviness of the song's themes. It's a video that all but reinforces MALI's multi-hyphenated brilliance, and how he's able to present his vision through every means necessary; the visual side of his work being a side that has felt particularly present, at least in the last year or so.

"From the jump i wanted this music video to be trippy and weird. Something more experimental than ever," he says on the video. "It’s easy when the people you work with (Dylan Guy) are on the same level and wave as you. We shot the whole thing in 2 hours. Going into it I wanted to be a character in the video more than ever, hence why the charisma and elements to the video is so intense. By the end of it I realised we depicted exactly what the song is about visually...beauty within the madness."

As mentioned, i ain't scared to die soon is a taste of the rapper's forthcoming mixtape scheduled for release in August. In the meantime, take a dive into the song's video clip below, as it premieres on Pilerats today:

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