If you push play on Vic Mensa‘s new song “Swish” above expecting to hear a redux of his and Chance The Rapper‘s 2021 reunion “Shelter,” you’re going to be sorely disappointed. While the first two names involved, Vic and Chance, might suggest a thoughtful or contemplative vibe, “Swish” seems to be taken from the oeuvre of their third collaborator, G-Eazy.
It’s actually a frantic club song, over which Chance, Vic, and Gerald rap praise to the twerkers while boasting the trappings of their wealth, from name-checking Rick Owens, The Ramones, and Al Capone to comparing their fists to Thanos — because they have too many stones, you see.
Honestly, if Chance and Vic are entering their party-boy era as both approach 30, you kind of have to give it to them. They spent their early 20s as the avatars of poetic, introspective rap, then got shunted into two lanes that wound up disappointing some of their earliest fans; Vic went through both a punk-rock phase and became the latest flag-bearer for so-called “conscious” rap, while Chance became known as the wife guy, whether fairly or not.
We know from the social media kerfuffle earlier this week that Chance likes to let it all hang loose once in a while, and frankly, it’s nice to see them shed their buttoned-up, super-serious professional presentation for at least a little bit. Check out “Swish” above and stay tuned.
Raekwon’s proposal for a New Jersey cannabis lounge was rejected after facing objections from local church members. Many churchgoers raised concerns about the proposed lounge in the community. According to an NJ.com report, the application for a New Jersey cannabis lounge proposed by Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon was denied after objections were raised by a local […]
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Vic Mensa joined Chicago activist and his good friend, Engelwood Barbie, in the streets of Chicago to spend a night raising awareness about homelessness.
TMZ notes Mensa spent the night in the streets on a night where it was 37 degrees, highlighting what homeless people go through every night. Barbie has been doing so for weeks. The two are teaming together to raise $1 million in an effort to open a shelter for the local homeless population. They currently have pulled together $126,000.
Englewood Barbie’s cause has attracted support from Dwyane Wade and Yandy Smith. Actor Jason Weaver also hit Instagram and shared a message about the cause.
You can see Mensa’s recap below.
The post Vic Mensa Joins Englewood Barbie in Sleeping in Chicago Streets to Raise Money for City’s Homeless Population appeared first on The Source.
He may not be firing off new music like his peers, but that doesn’t mean Vic Mensa’s schedule isn’t stacked. The Chicago artist is fresh off helping organize the Black Star Line Festival in Ghana alongside Chance The Rapper. In an interview with Paper Magazine, Mensa detailed traveling to Ghana in January last year. When he reached out to friends about being in Africa, only Chance asked to come to visit. It was a spiritual experience that bonded the friends, sparking the idea to host a music festival overseas.
Additionally, activism is something that Mensa continues to be involved in, especially in the Windy City. His non-profit SaveMoneySaveLife has helped thousands of residents in need, and Mensa is active in the local music scene to support rising artists. Paper asked about Chi-Town’s Drill scene and Mensa’s tense reaction to DJ Akademiks during an interview in 2017.
It was then Mensa was a guest on Everyday Struggle, a show co-hosted by Akademiks. The rapper took issue with how the blogger covered Chicago Drill artists, and Paper asked what it was like to see the genre accepted worldwide. “It’s really astounding, man. It’s beautiful. Ghanaian Drill is interesting too because it’s this ping-pong effect where Drill music from Chicago then inspired the UK, who transformed that sound plus Grime into a UK Drill scene; which then ping-ponged and inspired Pop Smoke and them to do the New York Drill scene, which then ping-ponged and inspired the Ghanaian kids to make Ghanaian Drill.”
Mensa explained that each scene is rooted in something different. In the U.S., Rap is heavily centered on experiences connected to violence. In Ghana, Mensa says the struggle isn’t the same. “The Drill movement was always conflicting for me,” he shares. “While I loved the artistic expression in the music, I also had a front-row seat to the real-life accompaniment to that music. Friends of mine were killed in the midst of Drill rap beef and all that sh*t. That was why I got into it with Akademiks.”
where was this energy here? pic.twitter.com/hTQCFZV9rE https://t.co/b0ofFbBFxB
— skya
(@andfuckvmin) February 23, 2022
He continued, “Because a kid that I grew up with and went to karate with when we were five years old ended up being a street n***a, gang banging, et cetera. He was also a very talented rapper. When he got killed, there was music involved, there were big Drill artists involved, and I heard about it on Akademiks’ parasitic platform. So that’s why I was upset.”
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Vic Mensa is on the comeback trail after releasing his spacey new single, “Strawberry Louis Vuitton,” with Thundercat and Maeta. On Wednesday night, he dropped by The Late Show to perform a dreamy rendition of the new song. While Thundercat had to sit this one out, Vic found the perfect replacement in Phony Ppl, the groovy R&B band that is starting to really discover its niche backing fellow rappers like Joey Badass and Megan Thee Stallion.
The five-piece band picks up the groove, providing a smooth counterpoint to Vic’s rough-edged but tender come-ons. Maeta, who features on the original, also appears here, providing backing vocals and cutting through with her honeyed ad-libs.
Mensa’s 2023 is off to a hot start. In addition to releasing the well-received “Strawberry Louis Vuitton,” he and fellow Chicagoan Chance The Rapper hosted their Black Star Line Festival in Accra, Ghana last month, bringing their message of unity to Vic’s father’s home country. The festival also afforded Vic the opportunity to provide clean water to 200,000 people in Ghana by building new water boreholes in locations that have historically gone without. Could all this activity mean that a new Vic Mensa album is on the way after six years without one? Let’s hope so!
Watch Vic Mensa perform “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” on The Late Show above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Multi-Platinum rapper/producer Vic Mensa has shared his first new song of the year, a soulful-rap love jam entitled “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” via Roc Nation. The single, which features vocalist and bass virtuoso Thundercat along with R&B songstress Maeta on additional vocals and instrumentation, arrives alongside an awe-inspiring music video in which Mensa skydives in a custom recreation of a Virgil Abloh suit while playing guitar, serenading a female companion who awaits his arrival on the ground. “I made Strawberry Louis Vuitton while watching one of Virgil’s last LV films; the one with Saul Williams,” states Vic. “When I heard the sample it just spoke to me, so I chopped it, made the beat, and wrote the song on the spot. It was really a freestyle. I always imagined Thundercat doing the bridge… we recorded it when he was on tour and I was doing my art show in Chicago. When Virgil passed away I kind of felt like he had given this song to me; the gift that keeps on giving, in a way.” Vic Mensa has stated that he’s been working toward a new project, and “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” sets the bar high for what his fans should expect from the Grammy Nominated artist as Mensa not only produced the track, but co-directed the video as well. Vic will be performing the song accompanied by Maeta and Phony Ppl this Wednesday on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The post Vic Mensa Skydives In New “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” Video Feat. Thundercat And Maeta appeared first on The Source.
Vic Mensa just dropped “STRAWBERRY LOUIS VUITTON,” a wondrous new single featuring Thundercat and Maeta. While the last we heard from the Chicago artist was his Black Star Line Festival in Ghana with Chance the Rapper, he’s still grinding that music. Moreover, this new track sees Vic in a new sonic direction, integrating lush instrumentation and beautiful harmonies.
Furthermore, this new song will likely land on Mensa’s upcoming album, which he said is already done. Still, fans knew the 29-year-old to be a versatile artist from the jump. Moreover, he’s dabbled with hip-hop, electronic music, punk, and a few other similar genres. As such, “STRAWBERRY LOUIS VUITTON” might not even be the main sonic pallet on his next project.
LV MUSIC VIDEO FRIDAY
pic.twitter.com/s2pYNiSzzZ
— Vic Mensa (@VicMensa) January 25, 2023
However, with a lot of guitar promo on his social media right now, it’s not a bad guess, either. Overall, this song features a bright and layered soundscape for the artists to explore, with deep bass, steady percussion, and vocal harmonies galore. Also, contributing guests Thundercat and Maeta provide some amazing vocal contrasts to Vic’s emphatic rap flows and smooth vocal lines.
All artists soar over this production, and it makes for a soothing and remarkably chilled-out song. Given this trippy direction for the “Liquor Locker” artist, his most recent community effort makes sense. Moreover, he donated about $10,000 in gas (no, not that gas) and pre-rolled joints (yes, that gas) to Chicago residents.
Still, what did you think of this new Vic Mensa song, “STRAWBERRY LOUIS VUITTON” featuring Thundercat and Maeta? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments and check out some standout lyrics from the single down below. Also, if you haven’t heard it yet, you can find the track on your preferred streaming service. As always, stay tuned to HNHH for the best new music every day.
Quotable Lyrics
Voulez-vous coucher, you sweet like shea butter too avec moi?
Sweet like, I love more the Crème Brûléе, you sweet like Häagen-Dazs
Sweet like Baby Bash and Frankiе J, suga, that’s way too fly
Judgin’ by the way your mama look, I bet you stay this fine, the way your DNA designed
