Biography

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 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.