Vic Mensa has shared his first new song of the year, a soulful-rap love jam entitled “Strawberry Louis Vuitton,” the track is out today via via Roc Nation. The single, which features vocalist and bassist Thundercat along with R&B songstress Maeta on additional vocals and instrumentation, arrives alongside a music video in which Mensa skydives in a custom recreation of a Virgil Abloh suit while playing guitar, serenading a female companion who awaits his arrival on the ground. “I made Strawberry Louis Vuitton while watching one of Virgil’s last LV films; the one with Saul Williams,” states Vic. “When I heard the sample it just spoke to me, so I chopped it, made the beat, and wrote the song on the spot. It was really a freestyle. I always imagined Thundercat doing the bridge… we recorded it when he was on tour and I was doing my art show in Chicago. When Virgil passed away I kind of felt like he had given this song to me; the gift that keeps on giving, in a way.” Vic Mensa has stated that he’s been working toward a new project. Mensa will be performing the song accompanied by Maeta and Phony Ppl this Wednesday on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The single arrives in the midst of a monumental period for the Chicago-based artist. A recent focus has been deepening his ties with the Ghanaian musical community, which culminated this month with the Black Star Line Festival in Accra. Organized by Mensa and fellow Chicago artist Chance The Rapper, the free one-day festival, treating fans to sets from Ghanaian mainstays like Sarkodie and Stonebwoy in addition to international acts including T-Pain, Erykah Badu, Jeremih, and his own widely heralded and rapturously received performance. Vic has also continued to culture build at home in Chicago through events like his widely acclaimed Skin & Masks art show at Kavi Gupta Gallery, as well as the launch of his brand 93 Boyz, which became the first Black-owned cannabis company in the state of Illinois. True to form, the 29 year old has foregrounded social activism as part of 93 Boyz’ mission, channeling a portion of the company’s profits toward causes such as his Books Before Bars initiative, which has distributed hundreds of books to underserved correctional facilities.