Open Space: Vic Mensa
Vic Mensa’s debut album, The Autobiography, was released on Friday, and it serves as exactly what its title suggests. From the intro, “Didn’t I Say,” down to his moody alt-rock serenades, Mensa paints a specific picture of a young black man growing up in America, which often includes suffering under the weight of societal, racial, economic and mental pressures. In his “Open Space” interview with MASS APPEAL, Vic explains the inspirations behind his new LP, the genius of No I.D., The Autobiography’s executive producer, and what led to the volatility of Chicago’s neighborhoods.
“The neighborhood I lived in, I lived across the street from Section 8. But also a couple blocks from Obama’s house,” says Vic of his upbringing on the south side of Chicago. That unique vantage point has had a lifelong influence on the Chi-town star, who also points to the trials and tribulations of Malcolm X, illustrated in his iconic autobiography, as part of what pushed him to frame his album as a memoir. “[Malcolm] goes through really a whole life on the streets as a hustler and a pimp,” says Vic. “But I guess in a parallel way, I’ve gone through certain things and, you know, in Malcolm X’s autobiography, he comes out as a different person with a different viewpoint, but still retaining things that he’s learned.”
Elsewhere in the 11-minute chat, Vic discusses “wizard” producer No I.D., whom he compares to Socrates, and the cyclic government behaviors that have contributed to Chicago’s demise. “It’s like when you used to be in the bathtub as a kid and you would make the little whirlwind tornado in [the water] when you spin it fast enough. Then you just pull your hands back and it spins itself out of control. That’s what we have in Chicago: a man-made whirlwind.”
Watch “OPEN SPACE: Vic Mensa” above.
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