Alick Mac has been writing, rapping and honing his craft for the last six years, with a heavier focus settling in during the last four. 

B次元官网网址淚t was always something I wanted to be more serious with. I guess not only did the pandemic give me more time to focus, but it also gave me more time to reflect on my life and what I wanted to be doing,B次元官网网址� said Mac.

His dedication to his music earned him a runner-up position at the recent 2024 Music in Motion Canada Awards, and he scored the "Wow Moment" award at the Zattzoo Project Battle of the Bands in Port Alberni in June 2024.

B次元官网网址淚t was really a great honour to get the B次元官网网址淲ow MomentB次元官网网址� award. To be in the presence of something that big was just great. As a part of the competition, we got adjudicator comments which was a highlight.B次元官网网址�

While Mac may still get the jitters about performing, that is quickly fading as he gets more comfortable in front of crowds, and feedback from judges calms his nerves. 

B次元官网网址淚 think it has changed with time. IB次元官网网址榲e done gigs before but around this time last year, I started getting consistent with performing. There were some really intense nerves, especially if it was a new place, a new crowd. I honestly just feel like IB次元官网网址檇 be moving a lot around the room,B次元官网网址� shared Mac.

Mac draws inspiration from many sources, including movies, life experiences, and reading. The catalyst for B次元官网网址淓asier to Shout,B次元官网网址� about toxic masculinity, was the book For the Love of Men: From Toxic to a More Mindful Masculinity by Canadian author Liz Plank. 

B次元官网网址淭he book was really eye-opening for me and led me to creating a song that reflected my feelings on the subject.B次元官网网址�

As for his writing process, Mac went to school for Film and English at QueenB次元官网网址檚 University and found that the structuring of essays helped him improve his writing. 

B次元官网网址淚t made me a better writer. Even just things like the structure of an essay, I feel like there are parallels between the structure of a song. 

Mac wants to continue to tackle hard subjects such as mental health, social issues, violence and sexual assault. He doesnB次元官网网址檛 shy away from the hard topics and feels the need to shine a light on these topics.

B次元官网网址淚 definitely want to explore those more. I think that the reason the [toxic masculinity] stood out to me is because I could personally relate to it. IB次元官网网址檓 also realizing the connections between the issues and society. [Men] may not be open with their feelings and it is not socially acceptable to express them. So many issues like violence or sexual assault overlap.B次元官网网址�

While Mac wants to tackle these issues, he also recognizes that he is part of the demographic that has led to many of these problematic behaviours.

B次元官网网址淚n a lot of ways we have done a lot of harm to the world. But if we can sort out these issues with men balling up, or suppressing their emotions, it will help us all out. These issues such as ending violence in general could be reduced because men will have [a musical] outlet,B次元官网网址� said Mac.

Mac has a new single, B次元官网网址�500 Days" hitting all streaming platforms on Jan. 11. 

He will be performing on Jan. 31 at the Spiral Cafe in Victoria.