Vice Carter Drops Off New 16-Track "Automatic Gunfire 5"

Vice Carter’s, "Automatic Gunfire 5", released January 15, stands as a sobering entry in a catalog defined by independence, persistence, and clarity of purpose. Spanning 16 tracks, the Flint, Michigan rapper, producer, and songwriter delivers a project that prioritizes lived reality over spectacle. The mixtape operates as both a personal record and a wider examination of structural failures that continue to shape life in marginalized American neighborhoods. Rather than leaning on abstraction, Vice grounds his message in concrete experiences, allowing the weight of those moments to speak for themselves.

Born Keith Biggs Jr. on December 30, 1992, Vice Carter’s foundation in hip-hop was established early. At just three years old, his grandmother introduced him to the genre through a stack of formative albums—"The Chronic", "Doggystyle", "E. 1999 Eternal", and more. Those records didn’t merely spark interest; they instilled an understanding of hip-hop as both expression and documentation. That influence would later surface in Vice’s own approach to storytelling, where honesty consistently outweighs polish.

His entrepreneurial drive surfaced in 2009, when he founded Above Ground Entertainment at only 16 and released, "Grand Theft Audio Vol. 1", while still in high school. The mixtape’s regional attention marked the beginning of a relentless output that would continue through the formation of Blue Label Entertainment and later Pyrex Vision Entertainment. Between 2012 and 2014, Vice released eight projects in quick succession, including, "God of Blue!", a tape that achieved cult-classic status after surpassing 20,000 downloads on DatPiff. That period cemented his reputation as both a prolific artist and a figure invested in cultivating talent beyond himself.

"Automatic Gunfire 5", reflects the discipline gained from that long arc. The title evokes repetition, escalation, and urgency, pointing toward cycles of violence and instability that refuse to resolve. Vice uses this framework to explore how those conditions affect individuals on a daily level. His verses frequently shift between inward reflection and outward observation, drawing a clear connection between personal outcomes and systemic neglect. The writing never feels detached; instead, it reads as firsthand reporting from within the environment he describes.

Production across the mixtape remains deliberately unvarnished. Beats are sturdy, often tense, and designed to support narrative momentum rather than dominate it. This restraint reinforces the project’s tone, keeping focus on Vice’s voice and perspective. There’s little interest in chasing contemporary trends or radio-ready formulas, instead, the soundscape mirrors the project’s themes—functional, direct, and shaped by necessity.

Lyrically, Vice Carter excels at capturing contradiction. He presents perseverance alongside fatigue, ambition alongside limitation. Rather than positioning himself as an exception to his surroundings, he places himself squarely within them. That decision adds credibility and emotional gravity to the mixtape. Discussions of violence and survival emerge naturally through detail and context, avoiding exaggerated rhetoric. The result is commentary that feels observational rather than instructional, trusting listeners to draw conclusions from what they hear.

At 16 tracks, the project benefits from its scope. Vice allows ideas to unfold gradually, approaching similar topics from different angles without overstaying his welcome. The sequencing helps maintain momentum, ensuring the mixtape feels cohesive rather than bloated. Over time, patterns begin to surface—recurring pressures, unresolved tensions, and the constant need for alertness implied by the title itself. These elements accumulate into a broader narrative about endurance within unstable systems.

The mixtape also highlights Vice Carter’s continued commitment to autonomy. After disbanding Blue Label Entertainment, launching Pyrex Vision Entertainment, collaborating with Blue City Club, and eventually returning to a fully solo path, Vice has consistently prioritized control over convenience. That independence is evident throughout, "Automatic Gunfire 5". The project doesn’t cater to algorithms or fleeting moments of attention; it exists on its own terms.

Within Vice Carter’s broader discography, "Automatic Gunfire 5", functions as a reaffirmation rather than a reinvention. It reinforces his role as a chronicler of experience—someone intent on preserving stories that are often overlooked or reduced to statistics. While the mixtape is deeply personal, its themes extend beyond individual circumstance, pointing toward structural patterns that remain unresolved.

Ultimately, "Automatic Gunfire 5", is a grounded, purposeful release that values substance over spectacle. It asks listeners to sit with discomfort and recognize the systems behind it. Vice Carter doesn’t attempt to resolve the conflicts he presents, nor does he soften them for accessibility. Instead, he delivers a clear-eyed account of survival, shaped by history, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to truth.