Vic Mensa
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.
Known For & Full Filmography9 Titles
Drama Series - 2015, 16 episodes • Main Cast Role
Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.
Drama Series - 1996, 16 episodes • as Self
The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.
Drama Series - 2018, 16 episodes • as Jamal
A relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story following a half dozen interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago. The story centers on Brandon, an ambitious and confident young man who dreams about opening a restaurant of his own someday, but is conflicted between the promise of a new life and his responsibility to his mother and teenage brother back in the South Side.
Drama Series - 2022, 16 episodes • as Quentin
The journey of a book smart teen whose life is forever transformed when he moves from the streets of west Philadelphia to live with his relatives in one of LA’s wealthiest suburbs.
Drama Series - 2019, 16 episodes • as Charade
Travel through time via music and comedy drawn from the forty-year library of the legendary, but fictional, musical variety show called “Sherman's Showcase.”
Movie - 2015, 2h 15m • as T-Money
A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago.
Movie - 2023, 2h 15m • as Self
The short film captures Vic’s exploration of his biracial identity, addressing the internalized insecurities he faced growing up and confronting the toxicity of Euro-centric beauty standards.
Movie - 2021, 2h 15m • as Prince
In a crime-noir about the urban child-soldier, Akilla Brown captures a fifteen-year-old Jamaican boy in the aftermath of an armed robbery. Over one gruelling night, Akilla confronts a cycle of generational violence he thought he escaped.
Movie - 2021, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
In this beautifully curated visual and cinematic world, fans will get the chance to take a peak into Lauren’s creative mind and what the songstress has been working on these last four years.