Vic Mensa Kicks The Year’s Two Best Freestyles Back To Back
Over the last decade, Vic Mensa has cemented himself as one of the most exciting freestylers of his generation. The Chicago, Illinois MC often uses the free-form opportunities to provide substantial commentary—whether notes about ugly Hip-Hop history, his personal conflicts, or systemic oppression.
Just days after a fellow Roc Nation managed artist, Conway The Machine, delivered a show-stopping freestyle for Funkmaster Flex, Vic Mensa ups the ante. He stops by Sway In The Morning to spit two performances, totaling approximately 15 minutes. “It’s not like the controversy ain’t hurt me / But I’m back in the game like James Worthy,” Vic begins, seated beside upcoming MC Kxng Moosa—who spent a years behind bars. A big part of Vic’s message is that he’s back, clear-headed, and intent on winning.
Vic Mensa’s Freestyle Causes Sway To Destroy His Studio (Video)
Vic’s opening bars deal with financial challenges, inner-conflict, addiction, and mental health. Just before the 3:00-mark, Mensa admits that he made a mistake dissing Drake. He owns other missteps too. “I fell victim to addictions and my mental state/ Stupid s__t, like dissing Drake / That was a big mistake,” he says, presumably referring to early 2016’s “Danger.” “But when you raised in a cage, all you know is MMA / I dissed Yachty, dissed Ak’, dissed triple-X / It was disrespect / It made the fans dis-invest / I lost M’s like a Dow Jones regression / But every L taught me an invaluable lesson / I’m back now with intention / Help make Moosa a free man; he was a child in detention,” he raps, tapping the guest seated next to him. Moments later, he hints at a collaborative project between the two. He closes the first batch with emphasis. “I found new success / I’m usin’ my music checks to invest / Now I own my own businesses / I let my light shine and make green, that’s photosynthesis.” Sway admits that he’s never seen an artist use that word in a rhyme before.
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A few moments later, Mensa addresses nearly retiring. “I almost said adios to audio / Got addicted to sniffin’ ’cause I seen that as a snotty-nose / She OD’d and her body froze / They bangin’ at 6 in my city; grown men k__in’ five-year-olds / Me, I took the higher road / I’m just an immigrant in a foreign / I’m bumpin’ Fivio / Sway, you came to my country; you been to Ghana, yo / You seen the way that mothers are struggling in my father’s home.” Moments later, Vic Mensa admits that he was his biggest opponent in getting ahead.
Vic Mensa Reminds Why He’s One Of The Best Freestylers Of His Generation (Video)
At 9:40, Mensa requests a new beat and takes a short breather. He declares, “Remember me — not just for these words, but for the way that I impacted culture / Became a legend in Chicago for the givin’ back s__t like Oprah / I did a million in shoes that was like five minutes off of O-block / I really took the message to the streets like Malcolm X on a soap box / Bulletproof vest on, I don’t really worry when they throw shots / I don’t post no location in the moment ’cause that’s how they smoked Pop,” he raps. In addition to Pop Smoke, Vic’s freestyle bars reference Trugoy, Cam’ron, Tupac, Pras, and others.
He closes the moment strong. “Me rappin’ on Sway is like Mahalia Jack’ on a church stage / This my arena, no John Cena,” he raps. “Me, I’m Langston when I paint hues / What happens to a dream deferred? / I’m trappin’, sellin’ P’s of herb / That yellow bag, Tweety Bird / They jealous, mad / Get paid at colleges, ain’t do no undergrad / ‘Cause most of my professors was sellin’ smack / Call that breakin’ bad.” Moosa takes the final minutes of the spot to flex his bars, having previously appeared on Sway In The Morning with Vic back in 2019.
Vic Mensa Once Again Shows He’s 1 Of Today’s Best MCs With A Punishing Freestyle (Video)
Last month, Vic Mensa teamed with Chance The Rapper and G-Eazy for Roc Nation video single “$wish.”
#BonusBeat: Ambrosia For Heads’ 2013 conversation with Vic Mensa:
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Author: Bandini
