“All praise to Allah, not Ramadan but these bitches fast.”
Well, well, well….the first post of the week is dedicated to none other than Bae Mensa. In his teen years, Victor Mensa was the lead rapper of hip-hop band, Kids These Days. Due to creative struggle and internal band strife, the diverse band split up and Vic decided to pursue his own solo path. Freshly signed to Roc Nation, he isn’t a newcomer to the music game. He has shot straight to the top with U Mad.
I found out about Vic Mensa about 6-8 months ago on my SoundCloud when his song “Wimme Nah” was reposted onto my stream. It was a remix done by Waldo and since I enjoyed the mix so much I had to find the original. Vic Mensa’s interesting blend of a simple rap beat, catchy hook, and clever flows had me hooked. After doing a little research on him and reading his Complex Mag article I found out he released Innanetape in 2013. “Lovely Day” is one of the more popular tracks from the solo mixtape that incorporates jazz and blues flairs with his quick, smooth rapping style. I’ll definitely do a post on this later on.
I’ve given you enough back-story on the kid so let’s get to the good stuff. “U Mad” starts off hard as fuck with horns of some sort blaring. It’s a bass pounding track to release at the start of his signed career with Roc Nation. Not to mention Kanye West helped with production and contributes a verse. What I enjoy about Vic Mensa is that he takes rap seriously but keeps it fun in nature. I don’t feel like I’m listening to a carbon copy of a struggling rapper trying to make it. I hear Vic Mensa rapping about whatever he wants to and (now) he’s getting paid for it. His bars on here are crazy; some simple, some precisely crafted with thought. My favorite line is at the beginning of this post but you could have a dozen Instagram captions from this song if you’re really feeling it. The simple horn beat goes STUPID HARD. I love that it’s Vic rapping over the beat showcasing his talent and showing you why he deserves to be here after years of grinding. If you haven’t heard this song yet, give it a listen. I promise you’ll have 300 plays on iTunes within an hour.
I watched bits and pieces of his opening Coachella performance compiled by Vibe on YouTube. My panties dropped when I saw him in all black donned with Doc Martens. Swoon mode x100. I have fallen hard for Vic Mensa. I love his hustle, presence, vibe, and all around being in the rap game. I give U Mad all the coins. Go buy this one for $1.29 he deserves it.