On the follow-up to his Grammy-nominated breakout album, Mali Is..., R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Mali Music takes a step beyond his gospel roots, moving into the mainstream with the aptly titled The Transition of Mali. As empowering and thoughtful as his previous, more Christian-oriented output, Transition explores broader everyday themes of hope, struggle, and inspiration set against a colorful tonal backdrop of electronic and organic instrumentation. Through it all, Mali splits his time singing and rapping in his signature style, while collaborating with guests like Jazmine Sullivan and Jhene Aiko. ~ Timothy Monger