Vic Mensa has released a new short, entitled Machiavelli. The film is an extension of the recently released music video of the same name including additional music, additional scenes, and spoken word narration. Machiavelli is soundtracked by excerpts of songs from his recent surprise release V TAPE, a collection of songs, exploring themes of pain, social justice, and redemption. Directed by Andre Muir and featuring photography by Angel Harrold and Flynn Drew, is part of Vic’s broader effort to reconnect with his Chicago roots after recently moving back, and plays as an intimate portrait of the city’s south side via evocations of west African imagery and Gordon Parks-esque street photography, weaving a thematic narrative of redemption and rebirth.

The new visual follows a short-film/live performance that premiered as part of the Lollapalooza live stream, which marked the debut of “No More Teardrops.” The track will appear on Reprise, a collection of songs curated by Roc Nation comprised of multiple artists uniting to let their voices be heard in musical protest. The album was compiled with hopes to bring awareness to social justice issues. A portion of proceeds will go to funding organizations that support victims of police brutality, hate crimes, and other violations of civil rights.