Mustafa has been one of the more uplifting talents to come out of Toronto in recent times.
Last year, the singer and poet released a short film titled Remember Me, Toronto that addressed the surge in gun violence in the city, featuring Drake and rappers from the city's different hoods discussing how the violence hit home personally.
He continued to propagate his anti-gun message in his first single, "Stay Alive." The singer's haunting vocals and powerful words against friends flashing gang signs created the kind of effective contrast that would make Kendrick Lamar proud.
He returns with his follow up single, "Air Forces." Jamie xx joins "Stay Alive" producers Frank Dukes and Simon Hessman to deliver a quiet introspective folk-tinged beat that samples a Sudanese tribal chant.
Mustafa's delicate voice is wrapped around a minimal acoustic guitar loop, sounding on the verge of tears as he begs his friends to "just stay inside tonight/you know what's happening tonight."
Check out the video for "Air Forces" below, which is directed by Toronto's Kid. Studio, who are responsible for videos for The Weeknd and Future.
Quotable Lyrics
And all these intersections
Where we've been kept and left in
I wonder why God keeps us alive
To what are we even destined?
Where we have wives and children
Or is that not written for you and I
