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Victor Kwesi Mensah (born June 6, 1993), known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
Mensa's 2014 debut single, "Down on My Luck" experimented with hip house, while his 2015 single, "U Mad" (featuring Kanye West) adopted a drill music sound; the former entered the top 40 of the UK singles chart, while the latter received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album, The Autobiography (2017), was met with critical praise and moderately entered the Billboard 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, and Skrillex, among others.
Mensa has been involved in political activism and charitable efforts in his hometown of Chicago, being heavily outspoken on the issue of gun 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.
On September 18, 2013, it was announced, that Mensa would be joining J. Cole and Wale on the What Dreams May Come Tour. Mensa would eventually release his debut mixtape, Innanetape, which was released on September 30, 2013. Following the end of the What Dreams May Come Tour, he toured Europe with Danny Brown, for the beginning of February 21, 2014 and ending on March 8. To cap off his rise to stardom, Mensa was chosen to be on the cover of XXL for the Freshman Class of 2014. Mensa's debut single "Down on My Luck" was serviced to urban contemporary radio in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2014. That same day, the accompanying music video was released. "Down on My Luck" was then released for digital download in international markets on June 6, 2014, by Virgin EMI Records.
On February 8, 2016, it was announced that Mensa, along with Travis Scott and iLoveMakonnen, will be a part of Alexander Wang's "WANGSQUAD" campaign. On February 19, Mensa released a single, "No Chill", featuring Skrillex. It was produced by Skrillex himself and Jahlil Beats. Mensa guest appeared on Kanye West's single "Wolves", from his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo. A reworked version of the song, which included previously removed guest vocals from Mensa and Australian singer Sia, separated Frank Ocean vocals into a separate track, and was released on Tidal on March 16, 2016.
On June 3, 2016, Mensa released his second extended play, There's Alot Going On. With one guest feature from American singer Ty Dolla Sign, the EP tackled issues such as the Flint water crisis, the murder of Laquan McDonald, and self-inflicted wounds. Mensa's EP debuted at number 127 on the US Billboard 200.
He and his friends were stopped by police for assumed stealing after his spending spree at Barney's of $4,000. He has performed as the opening act during Justin Bieber's Purpose World Tour in Europe.
Leading up to the release of Mensa's debut studio album, he released his third extended play, The Manuscript on June 8, 2017. Three days later, Mensa announced and revealed the album's title of his debut studio album titled, The Autobiography. Mensa would release the lead single titled, "Wings" featuring Pharrell Williams and Saul Williams on July 13. The Autobiography was released on July 28, 2017, through Roc Nation. The album featured guest appearances from Weezer, Syd, The-Dream, Chief Keef, Joey Purp, Pharrell Williams, Saul Williams, Ty Dolla Sign, and Pusha T. The album debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 15,000 units first week.
In January 2019, Mensa formed a punk rock and rap band named 93Punx, which subsequently released a cover of the Cranberries song "Zombie". 93Punx later issued their debut single, "Camp America", featuring children in cages in an ICE-inspired video. The singles "3 Years Sober" with Travis Barker and "It's a Bad Dream", featuring Good Charlotte, came out in July and August 2019, respectively. The band's self-titled debut album was released on August 23, 2019.
Also in 2020, Mensa would take a leap into acting in the TIFF film Akilla's Escape, in which he played the character Prince. The film would go on to be nominated for 8 Canadian Screen Awards subsequently winning 5 of them, including Best Original Screenplay
On March 26, 2021, Mensa put out the album I Tape, again under Roc Nation. The album further explored the themes of the American Dream that riddled his prior works, discussing the shattering of expectations brought on by the reality of systematic abuse. The album quickly garnered commendation from rap news outlets for its unabashed condemnation and meditation on racial injustice in America and its message of prison reform. With tracks featuring Chance The Rapper and Wyclef Jean, the album saw a good wave of popularity in the underground scene, and signaled a return to form for the rapper from a critical standpoint.
Off the heels of I TAPE's praise, he would go on to release the 4 song EP Vino Valentino on Valentine's Day 2022.
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. Mensa has also taken an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy with his cannabis company, 93 Boyz. 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.
In October 2023, Mensa signed an open letter for the "Artists4Ceasefire" campaign alongside over 600 other artists, urging President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.
"Recently, I did a freestyle for the BET Hip 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".
Collaborative albums
| 2015 | Woodie Awards | Best Video Woodie | "Down on My Luck" | |
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | "All Day" (as a songwriter) | |
| 2018 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding New Artist | Himself | |
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