…At Least My Mom Loves Me

If Maky Lavender’s been around on the Montreal rap scene for the past three years, it’s thanks to his participation in the excellent “Drumz” by Les Louanges that he really attracted attention. A year later, after having notably launched a single with FouKi, he released his second major project: …At Least My Mom Loves Me. This 27-minute opus shows a remarkable evolution – the lyrics are more thoughtful and the production much more worked out. Drawing on funk and electro, it recalls at times the aesthetics of its Montreal contemporary Kaytranada. Be reassured, the young rapper doesn’t lose his rebellious attitude and serves us trap on half of the album, notably on the excellent “Dancin’”, a collaboration with 7ème Ciel’s protégé, Zach Zoya. On “Funkds (Life’s a Beach)”, the starting pistol for the coming summer, Maky makes us wanna sunbathe while surfing. However, the album reaches its climax with the introspective “Bloom”, which merited a vintage music video at the beginning of April. …At Least My Mom Loves Me might’ve benefited from being shortened and reduced to an EP. Some tracks break up the homogeneity of the album, but they don’t overshadow Maky Lavender’s captivating style, an island of freshness in the ocean of Quebec rap. In any case, this album confirms that he’s one of the most promising artists out of the 514.