American rapper MAVI hosts free show in Paris
In honor of Paris Fashion Week and the release of his new mixtape, The Pilot, North Carolina rapper MAVI gave his Parisian fans a free show at FGO-Barbara on Jan. 23.
MAVI released The Pilot on Nov. 25, 2025, while on tour with rapper-producer duo Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist. This performance in Paris marked his first time playing songs from his new mixtape in front of a live audience.
Before his performance, he joined host Parker Songco for an episode of World Radio Paris Presents to discuss everything from his inspiration for creating The Pilot to his anticipation of playing these songs live in front of his fans for the first time.
“I always feel like performing is the last step of producing a song. You get to see how a song really exists in a space, and then in the mind of the listener. So I’m excited to see how people perceive it,” MAVI told WRP.
The people perceived it perfectly. MAVI had FGO-Barbara jumping and waving their hands the whole night, creating the type of environment he said he wanted going into it:
“Especially for my European fans — I’m not out here so often — I wanted a more intimate, relaxed environment. My international tour dates are often closely packed and stressful. I be really tired. So for me to be relaxed and having fun, willing to give more time, and able to give more energy — that’s the goal.”
And that’s exactly what it felt like: relaxed and personal. It didn’t feel like MAVI was just running through songs for the sake of it. He was genuinely enjoying the fact that he got to hear these records breathe in a room for the first time.
One of the best moments of the night came during his performance of “Landgrab,” when he brought a fan on stage to rap Earl Sweatshirt’s verse. FGO-Barbara went crazy.
He even performed a brand new song from his upcoming full-length album, First In Flight, making the night feel like more than a mixtape celebration, but a preview of what’s next.
Listen to the entire World Radio Paris Presents episode on our website, or via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.