Vic Mensa has released the video controversial track “16 Shots.”
The video, which backs his political stance on the police shooting of Black men epidemic, features Mensa rapping while wearing a jacket that reads “Resist.”
“16 Shots,” dedicated to Laquan McDonald, a Chicago teen who was shot 16 times by police in Oct. 2014, serves as a strong indictment of the police department. Lyrically Mensa goes hard after cops with lines like,
“Ready for the war we got our bootstrap, a hundred deep on State street where the troops at? / The mayor lying saying he didn’t see the video footage but all we wanna know is where the truth at.”
Vic has been very vocal on social issues, documenting several instances of everyday racism along with his jet-setting life via his Snapchat account. “16 Shots,” which debuted in February at the Justice For Flint event, also appears on his EP, There’s A Lot Going On, which dropped in June.
Leading the charge to stand up against police brutality, the video also depicts Vic Mensa being brutally beat by the police as he further rhymes,
“We on 16th riding by the police station/I make a pork rind out a pig, bro/Somebody tell these muthafucka’s get their hands off me, I ain’t a muthafuckin’ slave get the chains off me.”
As he rises from the beating and continues to stand up, they eventually shoot him down in cold blood. Though seemingly fatally shot, Mensa rises and continues, only to be shot down two more times before the video concludes with footage of McDonald’s final moments. Watch the powerful video now.
Words by Tiffany Hamilton
Follow us on Twitter: @Tffhthewriter @gripmagonline
