Vic Mensa has always been a man of the people, but the reveal for the alternative version of his “We Could Be Free” video proves that more than anything else he’s done. Although the video is an Apple exclusive, Vic is using his Twitter to host the full video for those fans who don’t have a spare $10 to sign up for an Apple Music plan.
He also refocuses the message of the song with the new video. Whereas the original version saw Vic traveling all the way to Palestine — and using the subsequent footage and experience to draw parallels between the Israeli occupation and militarized policing in the inner-city — the new video includes a storyline following a young Black man from his birth to his premature death at the hands of the police.
By recentering the focus of the video on the familiar imagery of police protests and ending it with gunshots from an officer’s weapon, Vic highlights the cyclical nature of police brutality and civil unrest. The clip also features a diverse cast of clergy and families, underlining Americans’ similarities and the injustice inherent in their inequitable treatment.
Vic’s The Autobiography debut is up for a Grammy award thanks to No ID’s production, but the real highlight is Vic’s poignant commentary and hope that conditions can be improved.
