Vic Mensa, the rapper and activist from Chicago’s south side, released V TAPE on Friday, a seven track journey through his battles with depression in an utterly aware and conscious state of mind since his period of exile and self-reflection.

V TAPE centers around thought-provoking lyrics that graze over themes like pain, social justice, redemption, and rebirth. Mensa’s powerful verses are laid over sample-heavy production reminiscent of ’90s hip hop and derived from Thelonious Martin, Keyon Christ, Stefan Ponce, C-Sick, Hit-Boy, Smoko Ono, SC, and TRAKGIRL. In terms of artists featured on the tape, Mensa turned to SAINt JHN, BJ the Chicago Kid, Peter Cottontale, Eryn Allen Kane, and Snoh Aalegra.

Joining the tape’s release is a video for the track “MACHIAVELLI”, which is the first vignette of a multi-part, forthcoming visual project that will go on to show an intimate and evocative portrait of the south side of Chicago. For the video, and as part of the rapper’s quest to return to his roots, Mensa used local creatives Andre Muir for a director with Angel Harrold‘s photography seen throughout.

Listen to V TAPE here, and watch the first of Mensa’s vignette’s down below.