Vic Mensa | |
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.jpg) Mensa in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Vino |
| Born | Victor Kwesi Mensah (1993-06-06)June 6, 1993 (age 32) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Midwestern hip-hop |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2009–present[1] |
| Labels |
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| Member of |
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| Formerly of | |
| Website | vicmensa |
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Victor Kwesi Mensah (born June 6, 1993), known professionally asVic Mensa, is an American rapper.[2] Born and raised inChicago, he was a member of the regional hip-hop groupsKids These Days andSavemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape,Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed toVirgin EMI Records,Def Jam Recordings,Capitol Records, andRoc Nation.
Mensa's 2014 debut single, "Down on My Luck" experimented withhip house, while his 2015 single, "U Mad" (featuringKanye West) adopted adrill sound; the former entered the top 40 of theUK singles chart, while the latter receivedgold certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[3][4][5] His debut studio album,The Autobiography (2017), was met with critical praise and moderately entered theBillboard 200, while his second album,Victor (2023), failed to chart. Despite limited mainstream success himself, he has collaborated with high-profile artists including Kanye West,Jay-Z,Pharrell Williams,Pusha T,Wyclef Jean, andSkrillex, among others.[6]
Mensa has been involved in political activism and charitable efforts in his hometown ofChicago, being heavily outspoken on the issue ofgun violence. He also is the founder of the SavemoneySavelife foundation, whose mission is to use art and entertainment to foster sustainable change, and funds three programs in Chicago centered on health and the arts.[7][8]
Victor Kwesi Mensah was born on June 6, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois.[9] His father is from Ghana and his mother is a white American.[10] Mensa grew up in theHyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.[11] He attendedWhitney M. Young Magnet High School. Mensa began his career when he formed a band calledKids These Days in 2009. The band would eventually release two projects, anextended play titledHard Times in 2011,[12] and amixtape titledTraphouse Rock in 2012.[13]
Following the band's split up in May 2013,[14] Mensa performed withGorillaz frontmanDamon Albarn at Albarn's 2014 performance at theGovernors Ball Music Festival, where he performed the track "Clint Eastwood", filling in for MCDel the Funky Homosapien.[15] When announcing a tour for 2015, Mensa said that he has plans to collaborate with Albarn sometime in the near future.[16]
On September 18, 2013, it was announced, that Mensa would be joiningJ. Cole andWale on the What Dreams May Come Tour.[17] Mensa would eventually release his debutmixtape,Innanetape, which was released on September 30, 2013.
Following the end of the What Dreams May Come Tour, he toured Europe withDanny Brown, for the beginning of February 21, 2014 and ending on March 8.[18] To cap off his rise to stardom, Mensa was chosen to be on the cover ofXXL for theFreshman Class of 2014.[19] Mensa's debut single "Down on My Luck" was serviced tourban contemporary radio in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2014.[20] That same day, the accompanying music video was released.[21] "Down on My Luck" was then released for digital download in international markets on June 6, 2014, byVirgin EMI Records.[22][23]
On February 12, 2015,Kanye West debuted a song, titled "Wolves" at hisAdidas Originals showcase. The song featured Mensa himself, along withSia.[24] Mensa later performed "Wolves" alongside West and Sia onSaturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Celebration three days later.[25][26] Mensa would later release an official collaboration with Kanye West, titled "U Mad" on April 10.[27] Eleven days later,Roc Nation announced that Vic had signed to its label, and a video of Mensa signing the deal alongsideJay-Z backstage at hisOn the Run Tour in Chicago was released onTidal. Later on in 2015, Mensa received a nomination forBest Rap Song at the58th Grammy Awards as a songwriter for co-writing Kanye West's single "All Day".[28]
On February 8, 2016, it was announced that Mensa, along withTravis Scott andiLoveMakonnen, will be a part ofAlexander Wang's "WANGSQUAD" campaign.[29] On February 19, Mensa released a single, "No Chill", featuringSkrillex. It was produced by Skrillex himself andJahlil Beats.[30] Mensa guest appeared on Kanye West's single "Wolves", from his seventh studio albumThe Life of Pablo. A reworked version of the song, which included previously removed guest vocals from Mensa and Australian singerSia, separatedFrank Ocean vocals into a separate track, and was released onTidal on March 16, 2016.[31]
On June 3, 2016, Mensa released his secondextended play,There's Alot Going On. With one guest feature from American singerTy Dolla Sign, the EP tackled issues such as theFlint water crisis, themurder of Laquan McDonald, and self-inflicted wounds.[32] Mensa's EP debuted at number 127 on the USBillboard 200.[33]
He and his friends were stopped by police for assumed stealing after his spending spree atBarney's of $4,000.[34] He has performed as the opening act duringJustin Bieber'sPurpose World Tour in Europe.[35]
Leading up to the release of Mensa's debut studio album, he released his third extended play,The Manuscript on June 8, 2017.[36] Three days later, Mensa announced and revealed the album's title of his debut studio album titled,The Autobiography.[37] Mensa would release the lead single titled, "Wings" featuringPharrell Williams andSaul Williams on July 13.[38]The Autobiography was released on July 28, 2017, throughRoc Nation.[39] The album featured guest appearances fromWeezer,Syd,The-Dream,Chief Keef,Joey Purp, Pharrell Williams, Saul Williams, Ty Dolla Sign, andPusha T.[40] The album debuted at number 27 on the USBillboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 15,000 units first week.[41][42][33]
Mensa released his fourth EP,Hooligans, on December 14, 2018.[43] It was supported by the singles "Reverse", featuringG-Eazy, and "Dark Things".[44][45]
In January 2019, Mensa formed a punk rock and rap band named 93Punx, which subsequently released a cover ofthe Cranberries song "Zombie".[46] 93Punx later issued their debut single, "Camp America", featuring children in cages in an ICE-inspired video.[47] The singles "3 Years Sober" withTravis Barker and "It's a Bad Dream", featuringGood Charlotte, came out in July and August 2019, respectively.[48] The band's self-titled debut album was released on August 23, 2019.[49]
Mensa returned in August 2020 with his first single of the year, "No More Teardrops", featuringMalik Yusef and Wyatt Waddell, a song tackling police brutality, street crime, corruption and the prison system. The song appeared onRoc Nation's compilation album,Reprise.[50] Mensa would later release his fifth extended play,V Tape, on August 21, 2020, which features from Snoh Alaegra, SAINt JHN, BJ Chicago Kid, Peter Cottontale and Eryn Allen Kane.[51]
Also in 2020, Mensa would take a leap into acting in theTIFF filmAkilla's Escape, in which he played the character Prince.[52] The film would go on to be nominated for 8Canadian Screen Awards subsequently winning 5 of them, including Best OriginalScreenplay[53]
On March 26, 2021, Mensa put out the album I Tape, again underRoc Nation. The album further explored the themes of theAmerican Dream that riddled his prior works, discussing the shattering of expectations brought on by the reality of systematic abuse.[54] The album quickly garnered commendation from rap news outlets for its unabashed condemnation and meditation onracial injustice in America and its message ofprison reform.[55] With tracks featuringChance the Rapper andWyclef Jean,[56] the album saw a good wave of popularity in theunderground scene, and signaled a return to form for the rapper from a critical standpoint.[57]
Off the heels of I TAPE's praise, he would go on to release the 4 song EP Vino Valentino onValentine's Day 2022.[58]
Mensa's activism is rooted in his hometown of Chicago. He is a vocal critic of police brutality and systemic injustice, often using his platform to speak out against the disproportionate effects of theschool-to-prison pipeline on minority communities. To directly address these issues, Mensa founded the SaveMoneySaveLife foundation, which aims to leverage art and entertainment to promote change and support programs in Chicago that provide resources for mental health and arts education.[59]
Mensa also engages in direct community-based charity work. He is known for the "Feed the Block, Warm the Block" initiative, a seasonal program that provides meals and warm clothing to Chicago's unhoused population during colder months.[60][61] Mensa has also taken an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy with his cannabis company, 93 Boyz.[62] The brand's mission is explicitly tied to social equity, as a portion of its proceeds is dedicated to providing clean water and expunging cannabis-related convictions for individuals affected by the war on drugs, representing a tangible effort to address past injustices.[63]
In 2017, Mensa traveled toPalestine with the organizationDream Defenders to film a music video for his song "We Could Be Free," he documented his experience in an essay forTime magazine, in which he drew parallels between the challenges faced by Palestinians living under military occupation and the struggles of Black Americans in the United States, including issues ofracial profiling, incarceration, and systemic injustice. He detailed his firsthand observations ofcheckpoints and theseparation wall, which he likened to the economic and social divides in his hometown of Chicago.[64]
In October 2023, Mensa signed an open letter for the "Artists4Ceasefire" campaign alongside over 600 other artists,[65][66] urging PresidentJoe Biden to push for a ceasefire amid the2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.[67]
Mensa is in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Melanie. The couple had their first child, a son named Mansa Musa Mensa, in 2024.[68] Mensa publicly announced the birth in February 2025, explaining his decision to keep it private until then was to "protect our peace."[69] He stated that the name was chosen to honor his African ancestry, specifically the14th-century emperor of theMali Empire.[69]
Mensa has been open about hissobriety from alcohol andsubstance abuse, which he has maintained for several years.[70]
Mensa is Muslim, stating that "Islam has been cataclysmically impactful for me," attributing to it a significant shift in his consciousness and discipline.[71] He has also expressed admiration for traditional African spiritual systems, such as Vodou and Yoruba, which he argues were "demonised" as a tool of colonization, describing them as systems of ancestor worship that believe in a single deity.[72]
In October 2018, as part of hisBET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, Mensa dissed late rapperXXXTentacion, referencing his domestic abuse charges and mockinghis murder. Subsequently, he received backlash on social media as well as from other artists.[73] Additionally, Vic Mensa was criticized as hypocritical by radio hostCharlamagne tha God, as Mensa had previously admitted to choking a woman.[74] Mensa later apologized on Instagram for dissing XXXTentacion in front of his mother, but stood by the lyrics, saying:
"Recently, I did a freestyle for the BET [Hip Hop] Awards cypher addressing and condemning rappers who unabashedly abuse women and those who stand up for them and even call them legends, I stand behind those statements. It was pre-recorded weeks ago, and I had no idea a grieving mother would be in the audience to honour her lost son. I never intended to disrespect her, and I offer my deepest condolences for her loss at the hands of gun violence. However, I vehemently reject the trend in Hip Hop of championing abusers, and I will not hold my tongue about it. I don't give a fuck about getting attention. I care about bringing awareness and holding people accountable for their actions".[75]
On January 15, 2022, Mensa was arrested at theDulles Airport by theMetro Police afterBorder Protection discoveredLSD andpsilocybin mushrooms, capsules and gummies. He was charged with felony narcotics possession.[76]
In interviews withXXL andComplex, Mensa cited hip-hop artists such asJay-Z,Kanye West,Earl Sweatshirt,A Tribe Called Quest,Timbaland,Eminem,Biggie Smalls,Missy Elliott,Lupe Fiasco,UGK,J Dilla,The Pharcyde,DMX,Nas,2Pac,Hieroglyphics,De La Soul,Wu-Tang Clan,Lil Wayne,Kid Rock, andSnoop Dogg as musical influences.[77][78] In 2013,XXL called his breakthrough mixtapeInnanetape "lyrical nourishment" and commented on his ability to "bend words at will, cramming syllables into lines with obvious glee."[79] In his music and in public discourse, Mensa has been vocal about gun violence and other social issues, including mental health.[80]
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | mtvU Woodie Awards[81] | Best Video Woodie | "Down on My Luck" | Nominated |
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | "All Day"(as a songwriter) | Nominated |
| 2018 | NAACP Image Awards[82] | Outstanding New Artist | Himself | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
