Vic Mensa‘s triumphant comeback continued today with the release of his I Tape EP, the follow-up to his August V Tape release. To accompany the new EP, Vic also shared the fiery “Fr33dom” video with TDE singer Zacari. The video finds Vic Mensa once again in conflict with the authorities, as viewed through the framing device of a child’s room filled with posters of revolutionaries. In one scene, Mensa stands victorious over one of the greatest symbols of the establishment, Uncle Sam, clad in boxing trunks and gloves.
Vic’s two most recent projects have highlighted his redefined role as a rebel with a cause. Whereas prior efforts saw him position himself as a punk rock rabble-rouser along the lines of a Sid Vicious, all chaotic energy and self-destruction, he seems to have shaken off that outlook on newer tracks like “Shelter,” on which he reunited with longtime friend Chance The Rapper.
His community-focused efforts have taken the forefront of his artistic messaging, and he continues to promote them despite some setbacks — like when his nonprofit was robbed of $40,000 worth of donated sneakers on New Year’s Eve. In all, though, watching him tap into his socially conscious roots has been an encouraging sight.
Watch the “Fr33dom” video above.
I Tape is out now on Roc Nation Records. Get it here.