One state representative is getting ready to start the new session at the Minnesota State Capitol this week and drop a new album.

Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, who serves St. Paul and West St. Paul, released her new rap album on Monday, “Unlock the Chamber.”

“Hip-hop, debate, politics, it’s all part of the same culture,” Pérez-Vega said.

The rep who raps says her first session at the State Capitol last year influenced her music.

“Art is a part of our agenda and how much I’m working as an artist, as a lawmaker,” Pérez-Vega said.

The St. Paul native says she’s been rapping since she was 11.