Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa came through with a reminder that, regardless of narratives and past missteps, when it comes to rapping they are exceptional at their craft. The Chicago wordsmiths’ recent video “Wraith (Writing Exercise #3) is two minutes and 27 seconds of unbridled lyricism, following them through a store, in the studio, and on an indoor basketball court surrounded by their crew. The record itself is produced by Smoko Ono.
Mensa takes on the first verse, clutching his dog as he talks about his mother, liars, and much more. Chance follows up, utilizing the sequential word overlay from his previous “Writing Exercise #2” as he references Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, how saving money is part of his bone marrow, and neo-colonial states. Vic Mensa returns at the end, trading his confident rap voice for a more melodic vocal tone.
Though the two rap veterans’ careers are different, the synergy here should come as no surprise as they previously collaborated on “Family,” “Shelter,” “Suitcase,” “Taxi Cab,” and various other tracks. “Wraith (Writing Exercise #3)” follows Chance The Rapper’s “Child of God” single released back in March. Mensa appeared on “Just The Same” alongside Big Gigantic and Mick Jenkins which came out earlier this week.