There's A Lot Going On

Without a doubt, one of the most underrated projects of the year was Vic Mensa’s There’s A Lot Going On. With his band Kids These Days (which included Joey Purp and Chance the Rapper) breaking up in May 2013, Vic’s had a mixed 3 years post-boy band break up. Releasing an album called ‘Innanetape’, which was so mediocre it might as well have been called 50 shades of beige, it appeared to me that Vic was going to just be a watered down version of his more successful ex-band member Chance The Rapper. Forever, stuck in his shadow and reduced to releasing wallpaper music for inebriated college kids to zone out to. But, time spent working and writing with Kanye West on tracks like All Day has completely changed Vic. Signed to Jay Z’s Rocnation, with a new flow and a swagger to match, Vic appears to have stepped his game all the way up. Gone are the simplistic beats, indicative of someone who’s just bought a Fisher Price My First Piano and learnt two chords, and instead we find hard hitting chopped up beats providing the canvas for some thought provoking and genuinely clever bars. Within the EP Vic tackles subjects such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, addiction, relationships, the shooting of Laquan McDonald and his own troubled past.

With the first track “Dynasty” the EP begins in typically anarchic style, with the standard hip hop beat replaced by a grand and audacious instrumental acting as a stage upon which Vic showcases his new and improved flow with straight hard bars acting as a warning for listeners about what is to come. The previously mundane rapper of 2013 has been wiped away and instead we hear a new brashness in Vic’s work. Clearly any fears that Yeezus had no influence on Vic, are quickly dismissed. The mood changes immediately and the cock eyed brashness of “Dynasty” is replaced with a much darker and poignant track – “16 shots”. Here Vic discusses the shooting of Laqual McDonald while commentating on American society’s racial issues. Vic’s anger in this track is visceral and takes the track to a whole new level as it forces us to connect with the music and the story behind it on a far more personal level. Again Vic comes hard with his lyrics, my personal favourites being – “I just made me a mil’ but I’m still militant” and the far more shocking “Fuck a black cop too that’s the same fight, You got a badge bitch but you still ain’t white”. All in all, a chilling, thought provoking track and without a doubt one of the highlights of the EP. From there we move onto track 3 “Danger”, here Vic illustrates his lyrical ability on a choppy rap beat. Again the lyrics are strong, the beat is crazy and you can imagine the track would be going off if you were driving at 3am on an empty motorway. Moving on from “Danger” we go to track 4, and in my opinion the highlight of the whole album, “New bae”. The yeezy influences are there for everyone to hear but if anything take this track to new heights. The beat itself is quite simple but with some mad change ups which got me jumping around like a fucking lunatic, the lyrics aren’t the most insightful you’ve ever heard but any guy that’s recently gone through a break up will relate to this track no doubt. And for the first time on the EP we get to hear Vic switching up his flows on 1 track, switching it up from melodic narrative to aggressive verse seamlessly. “New bae” manages to showcase Vic’s vocal range, his new flow, his production skills and is just generally an all-round fucking banger – which I definitely recommend blasting out while you’re driving! From “New bae” we go to track 5 “Liquor Locker”. Again Vic tears up the blueprint that he’s just drawn up from the last track and takes us down a different route where he goes down a more melodic slow guitar route. Easily one of my favourite tracks on the EP due to its hella chilled vibe and very relatable message – any guy that’s taken a call at 2am from someone who’s drunk will relate to this track, or indeed if you’ve been drunk yourself and rung up someone like a drunken mess trying to link at 2am this track is for you. Either way this track is a really good mid EP change up. Not to mention there’s also a brief cameo by TY$ Sign which sends this track all the way up. Track 6 is Shades of Blue, not my favourite track but still solid, decent instrumental with some pretty tight bars which is again very chilled and I guess it could be bumping if you were in the right mood. The EP finishes in a very personal way with track 7 “There’s A Lot Going On”. Here Vic gets very personal detailing pretty much his life story. He often slips into the chaotic narrative, appearing to almost take disgust at his own chequered past littered with addiction and disappointment. Nevertheless the track itself is lyrically tight, the beat stays true and it’s a good way to round off a genuinely very impressive project.

There’s A Lot Going On, is easily in my top 5 records of the year. Vic brings a variety of flows, styles and beats together in one chaotic yet brilliant EP. I particularly enjoyed how Vic doesn’t sound at all watered down and the issues on the EP seem very real and true. There are obvious influences such as Jay Z, Kanye West and even a bit Childish Gambino in there. But, importantly Vic seems to finally be showcasing that talent we all knew he had. All in all a tight project and hopefully a sign of what else is to come from Vic Mensa.

Vic Mensa – There’s A Lot Going On – 9/10