Mal Mal Contends With Fiendish Clout On “Demons & Devil”

With one foot in Richmond and the other in Jersey, hip-hop artist Mal Mal is electrifying scenes up and down the East Coast with a distinct flow and captivating aura. His newest single for 2023, “Demons & Devil,” showcases his ability to embody a sharp instrumental and twist it to his sly will. Released with a music video as well, the total package helps set Mal Mal apart as a slick voice to watch in hip-hop.

Produced by Sage4k, the song features Mal Mal’s tenacious sound as he prowls over a requiem of swirling vocals in the song’s backdrop. Wispy and hazy, the beat here has the exact amount of mystique to enhance the diabolic theme while still keeping the focus right on the brash MC. Also keeping that focus is a sharp and canny music video that intensifies the song’s power and Mal Mal’s imposing presence.

Shot by VVS, the music video seems on its surface to be nondescript, but the framing choices here really make Mal Mal pop. Instead of just centering the MC in each shot and shifting the vantage point, the camera places Mal Mal all around the screen with viewpoints up and down the horizontal line. Most striking are scenes with Mal Mal spitting bars around a brick corner in a shot that’s rarely used in hip-hop today, which is foolish considering how much Mal Mal jumps out of the screen in these shots.

Released back in March, “Demons & Devil” follows up on two roaring singles from Mal Mal in 2022 entitled “Trust No Soul” and “Straight Up.” Before that, we were introduced to Mal Mal in 2021 with three singles “All In Me,” “Blessed,” and “Super Lit.” Each one a punchy example of his whirring style, they leave us hoping for a mixtape or record on the horizon with plenty of heavy beats and weighty lyrics to sift through. Until then though, we’ve got “Demons & Devil” to tide us over thankfully.

Watch the video for “Demons & Devil” below and make sure to follow Mal Mal on Instagram so you stay up-to-date on his latest releases.