Last year, Z-Wayne blessed the masses with the critically acclaimed body of work Lone Wolf, which contained 10 cuts and additional features from Walkdown Will, Big Flock, and Knuklehead — that project spawned hit singles like “Z-Wiz” and “Yayo.” Earlier this month, the D.C. talent made a huge return with the aptly titled “Please Excuse My Absence,” another 10-song effort with collaborations alongside Young Moe and NSC Kai. Via press release, Z-Wayne further explained the release, essentially solidifying his intent on making music his main focus following a self-imposed hiatus:

“It’s all for my son and to be a good role model for my community. During my break from music I thought about life and what I needed to do to better my mental health for my family and I. No longer will I be just to be ‘lit’ pursuing rap music but to be an icon that the kids can look up to.”

One immediate standout from Please Excuse My Absence is the reflective “Feel Alive,” which sees him keeping it real about his origins and current struggles on his journey to success:

“Remember times I used to feel alive, shit was going great … ever since I started making my way .. I’m still lil’ Wayne, I come from Section 8, shit was tough, moms ain’t have it all … play your homie close, cause it gets sketchy, niggas’ll put you on and get jealous when you doin’ better than them, I guess that fuck nigga was never a friend…”

Z-Wayne also liberated a visual for “Feel Alive” that sees direction from Be Different Media and brings his heartfelt subject matter to life, complete with shots of past moment interspersed with reenactments of his present day life.

Check out both Z-Wayne‘s Please Excuse My Absence and the aforementioned video for “Feel Alive” below.