A few weeks ago, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa made an inspired return to form with his V Tape EP. Eschewing trend chasing or wild experimentation, Vic got back to basics, doing the thing that first brought him to the attention of fans back in the early 2010s — rapping his ass off over beats the bang the picture frames off the living room walls. The albums revitalized fans hopes for the once-burgeoning star and displayed a rejuvenated Vic taking on the various controversies that had plagued him throughout his career.
Today, he has released an extended version of the lead single’s music video, turning “Machiavelli” into a short film illustrating the dangers of street life in his hometown. While it opens with the original video but cuts it short for a spoken word interlude from Vic over a heart pounding chase scene. The song switches to the Jay-Z-sampling “SC Freestyle” as Vic raps a menacing verse at a wake and spooky imagery of nooses flashes by on the screen. “Like fire to a match, I’m designed to react,” he intones in another interlude before the video closes with the V Tape closer “Rebirth” as the camera zooms in on a body lying in the street and is given last rites by a group of elders.
Watch Vic Mensa’s “Machiavelli” short film above.