Vic Mensa has the makings of a true superstar. He’s coming off two huge collaborations with Kanye West: “Wolves” and “U Mad?” He has ties to Chance The Rapper with their SAVEMONEY crew. He comes from Chicago, a city whose positives and negatives have shaped him greatly. And, most importantly of all, his sound is incredibly versatile. In his short career, he has crafted absolute bangers (“U Mad?”), house smashes (“Down On My Luck”), woozy, heart wrenching ballads (“Codeine Crazy (Icarus Story)”), alt-rock basement singles (“Orange Soda”), and many more. Topped with his impressive freestyling ability, Vic is an extraordinarily talented artist that doesn’t just fit into one sound – he makes songs for all kinds of listeners, and does it all very well. There’s A Lot Going On, a prelude to his upcoming album Traffic, is his first project in years, and I knew it would inevitably include some very unique music.

“Dynasty (Intro)” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – If you need an example for why Vic Mensa is an outstanding rapper, look no further than this song. Vic goes absolutely insane with two incredible verses which serve as a disclaimer for who he is, what he has become, and what his plans are. Lines like “This is not a diss song, this a disclaimer/Sorry that your management can't manage my anger/Violence is not the answer but, Lord, they done brought it to me/You gon' see a side of me, the South Side taught it to me” suggest a new Vic moving forward. The instrumental is a perfect example of letting the beat build as elements are slowly added bringing anticipation to the drawn out but very satisfying drop half way through the song. Excellent song, perfect intro.

“16 Shots” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – This is the most chilling, controversial, and moving song I have heard in 2016. “16 Shots” is many things; a tribute to Laquan McDonald, a 17 year old black boy murdered by police, a Black Lives Matter anthem, an aggressive anti-police anthem, a declaration of war on the mistreatment of minorities in the United States, and, most of all, an explosion of anger and an end to inaction given the police brutality of the last few years. Vic talks about police brutality and injustices on this song, gradually becoming more aggressive and militant. By the end of the song, he’s threatening violence against police officers and literally howling “FUCK 12.” The chorus is simple but chilling as Vic threatens to return 16 shots at police with synthetic backing vocals crooning in the background. The song closes with a chilling recording of Laquan McDonald’s lawyer giving the story of his murder. The officer who shot him was later indicted on 6 counts of first degree murder. “16 Shots” channels Vic’s anger and frustration in the fashion of Malcolm X or the Black Panthers, and it is one of the best, most chilling songs of 2016.

“Danger” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – This song sums up who Vic Mensa is in 2016 quite well. The theme of “Danger” is just that Vic’s dangerous personality over an aggressive, buzzing instrumental. The excellent hook declares that this lifestyle is the only life for him, and he would only trade it for a perfect woman who’s a bit of a basket case herself. He talks about shooting people, drinking two bottles of tequila while driving, and telling people to raise their guns in the air. After the hook comes a beautiful interlude of a woman singing in Hindi. Everything about this song channels youthful energy and ignorance effectively, and it is quite fun to listen to.

“New Bae” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – I cringed more than a few times listening to this. Vic is singing and rapping about going out to clubs, getting really drunk, and cheating on his girlfriend in very rich detail. Lines like “Fresh out the shower, I'm licking your asshole,” “Bring her to the crib in the Hills with the studio, tell her we can have a little FeFe,” and “Pussy getting wet, let it marinate/Let a n**** taste something girl, yeah yeah” are just way too much. Not only that, but he’s also biting artists like Travi$ Scott and The Weeknd right down to their enunciation – taking inspiration is one thing, but this feels like straight stealing at times. This song resembles the character that Vic is portraying: a mess that’s pretty discomforting to watch.

“Liquor Locker (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – This song is really annoying. The hook is cheesy and overly alliterate. The verses aren’t much better. The guitar strums in the background remind me of something off Ty Dolla $ign’s Free TC album, but worse. Vic Mensa is portraying himself as an inebriated tool who gets really drunk and does dumb things with other drunk girls late at night. Ty Dolla $ign is the saving grace here simply because he’s a change, but his verse isn’t super strong either. This song demonstrates the worst side of Vic Mensa and is very skippable.

“Shades of Blue” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – Aside from the “I’m a prodigy in these Prada jeans” line, the verses on this song are quite strong. Vic is rapping about the Flint water crisis and telling the stories of people he met when he went there. He then begins asking why darker people must always suffer, and it is quite touching and real. But then he hurts his credibility at the end by essentially saying that he talks a big game, but doesn’t actually do anything to help the cause. I know he’s trying to be confessional and say everyone has problems, but this just takes away from everything he was saying. The hook is also god awful, with some of the worst singing on the entire project. It’s a decent song with a touching message, but the hook sounds terrible and the end makes the whole song feel fake.

“There’s A Lot Going On” (Prod. By Papi Beatz) – This song literally sums up Vic Mensa’s entire life in the last three years, and it is very confessional and surprising. Vic admits on that he has struggled with drug addiction, couldn’t stay faithful to his girlfriend, and almost committed suicide. He tells very detailed stories about snorting Adderall off a bathroom floor and nearly killing himself during a bad acid trip. The story turns around somewhat at the end; Vic says he is burying his demons and just focusing on the music, which is easier now with his connections to Jay Z and Kanye West. Whether Vic is still using drugs is uncertain, but the song is still quite riveting if you have an interest in his life, which I do, being a fan since his 2013 mixtape INNANETAPE. My only complaint is that the hook is pretty bad – it sounds almost like a Creed or Nickelback song from the mid 2000’s and I’m not trying to hear that. But with all said, good song and good closer.

“There’s A Lot Going On” is a very appropriate title for this project. Vic Mensa explores many different sounds and emotions here – some successfully and some not so much. This is perhaps the biggest issue with the project; Vic is trying to cover too much ground and this made the album incohesive. He is at his best when dealing with political themes and flexing his lyrical abilities, but he does not stick to these guns throughout the project. My opinion on this album is very mixed; there are some incredibly good songs here, but others that are almost unbearable.

Nonetheless, Vic Mensa does show growth on a few of these tracks. It definitely adds anticipation to his upcoming commercial debut Traffic. Overall, There’s A Lot Going On is a disjointed project with some big hits and some big misses.

BEST TRACKS: 16 Shots, Dynasty, Danger

WORST TRACKS: Liquor Locker, New Bae

OVERALL: 6/10