This past Friday, Chicago emcee Vic Mensa dropped his There’s Alot Going On EP, his first project of any kind since September 2013, when he dropped his solo debut, INNANETTAPE.

TAGO features some of the party-themed, light-hearted Vic Mensa that we’ve seen of late, but it’s also a smash-mouth exhibition of daringly conscious and aware Vic Mensa; Since his days as a member of rap-rock band Kids These Days Mensa has had a penchant for social commentary. Songs like “16 Shots” and “Dynasty” prove that during his hiatus, Vic has racked up on no shortage of messages to get across or issues to tackle.

During a recent interview with Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, Mensa dove into some of the inspirations behind his EP and what prompted him to record several of the records. Do remember, as solid as TAGO is, it’s merely a lead-in to Mensa’s forthcoming debut album, Traffic, due out in the coming months.