Mali Music could have given his new song “Ready Aim” a happy ending. But he seemed to feel a sense of urgency to emphasize the struggle that sometimes comes with transition.

On the soulful, rock-tinged song co-produced by Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis, Mali appears to be singing about a hijacking. He’s on a flight. There are machine guns, and a shooting. But he’s not scared. He welcomes the challenge, boldly singing, “Ready, aim, fire. You can’t shoot me down.”

The song is a metaphor for spiritual warfare.

“Metaphors are necessary in this season,” says the talented Bystorm Entertainment/RCA Records artist with a sound that blurs the lines between gospel, rock, R&B and hip-hop. 

“It’s not about airplanes or rocket ships or space or being fired upon,” he says. “It’s a picture of things that are happening in the air when you get in contact with who you are, and when God calls you you better expect some resistance.”

Stressing that fear was not an option was important to Mali. As equally gifted as Lauryn Hill in the arts of singing and rapping, Mali puts on his MC hat to explain the missions that fuel his confidence.

“Trying to take water to a dry place. Trying to take low to a high place,” he raps. “Wanna make the shooter put the gun down. … Make the blind man see the sun again.”

“We do not dodge,” Mali explains. “We’re not going to duck. We’re not going to tuck. Ready, aim, you got us. Fire. Boom. And we’re still flying. You can’t shoot me down.”

“Ready Aim” is the first single from Mali’s forthcoming EP Mali Is due out this summer.

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