LA On Lock

Mustafa - Stay Alive [Music Video Review]

May 19, 2020 Travis Erwin

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

If Jack Johnson had grown up in an inner city, this is the track he would have written. Instead this tender , emotional track comes from Mustafa, a 23 year old songwriting poet who hails from Toronto's Regent Park, an area that has seen its share of gun violence. Mustafa was first moved to make music after losing several close friends to gun violence. He sings to the departed and to his hood. Even with his serene demeanor, the effect is riveting. Every part of the song is understated, from the single guitar to the subtle keys and the mere suggestion of percussion. The finger-picked acoustic notes wander along the scales without hurry, matching Mustafa’s breathy, soulful vocals perfectly as he goes from nostalgic, to hopeful, to profoundly sad.

Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

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