Victor Kwesi Mensah was born on June 6, 1993, and is known as Vic Mensa by fans and followers. He is a Ghanian-American rapper, singer, record producer, and activist who was born and raised in Chicago, in the Hyde Park neighborhood. His father is Ghanian and his mother is Caucasian American. He completed high school at Whitney M. Young, a magnet school in Chicago. He began exploring his interests and passion for hip hop and rap when he was young. At the age of 20, he was in a music group called Kids of These Days, but they broke up in 2013. Vic Mensa debuted as a solo artist in 2013 on Chance the Rapper’s mixtape ‘Acid Rap,’ and released his first song “Down on My Luck” in June 2014. Vic Mensa continued to expand his hip hop career and went on to tour with Wale and J.Cole, who are both rappers that are known for their great music, beats, and bars. He was signed by Roc Nation and debuted his first album, “The Autobiography” three years later, in 2017. He is a rapper known for his upbeat lyrics which have elements of hip hop music from the 90’s. Vic Mensa is also known for his organization, SavemoneySavelife, this organization fights against racism in America and donates to health and art initiatives in Chicago. Although he was not born in Ghana, he represents Ghana and Africa in his music.
In his song titled, FR33DOM ft. Zacari, Vic Mensa does not specifically mention Ghana, but he pays respects to Africa and the Diaspora by including rap lines that mention “voodoo,” and “Let it blow like Hugh Masakela.” Vic Mensa is paying tribute to South African trumpet player and composer, Hugh Masakela, and voodoo is a practice similar to “witch-craft” and is something that is discussed in African communities. It is definitely interesting to see the use of the term “voodoo” to advocate for less violence, poverty, and darkness in the world. Also, since he is an activist, this song also raises awareness in that he raps about poverty and how it causes people to do things they do not want to do: steal. His music and beats draw listeners in and his lyrics are well-written and make listeners leave with an appreciation for his art.
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https://www.instagram.com/vicmensa/?hl=en
https://www.pandora.com/station/play/miR497201
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