Vic Mensa.
Codeine Crazy (Icarus Story)

Fresh off a killer performance at Pitchfork Music Festival, Vic Mensa has released his own unique take on Future‘s “Codeine Crazy“, first premiered live during his set this past weekend. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, coinciding with the release of Future’s DS2 album, while also following the release of Vic’s recent collaboration with Skrillex, titled “No Chill“.

This isn’t your typical rap cover where you’d expect an artist to slap a new coat of paint on a rehashed beat and simply call it a “freestyle.” Instead, we find Vic channeling his inner rockstar as he opens up about the struggles of flying too close to the sun (a la Icarus) on his rise to stardom and how he copes with the new pressures. The angsty, guitar driven backdrop sets the stage perfectly for Vic to experiment in a way like never before, while also allowing longtime collaborators Stefan Ponce and Papi Beatz to show off some of their range from a production standpoint as well.

Vic is currently preparing to release his Roc Nation debut, Traffic, sometime later this year. The album already boasts features from heavyweights like Kanye West and Skrillex, though remaining details seem to be sparse at this point. Be on the lookout for the talented emcee in your city as he embarks on his Traffic Tour to close out the summer.

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Vic Mensa