Well when rap’s once and current greatest of all time calls you a “once in a lifetime” artist, that’s high praise to live up to. If anyone is up to the task, it should be Vic Mensa.
Rap’s elder statesman made an appearance at the listening party for Vic’s upcoming major label debut, The Autobiography, taking to the mic to call Vic “a special talent,” and an “incredible, once in a lifetime artist.” He also joked around with the crowd about hating to play his own albums for industry people and encouraged them to vibe out to the music.
While the young rapper from Chicago’s South Side has seen a bumpy road, even going so far as to name his last project There’s A Lot Going On, he always had a great deal of potential. He actually preceded his friend and crew-mate Chance The Rapper in becoming a critical darling with hip-hop jazz band Kids These Days, and his latest release, The Manuscript, only proves that his pen game remains as sharp as ever.
Still, it had to have been rough for him to watch Chance pass him by as his own troubles mounted, so to receive encouragement and a co-sign from Jay-Z should be reassuring for Vic as he gets back on track. It also brings a certain amount of pressure; comparisons to other Jay-Z proteges like Memphis Bleek are sure to follow (but hey, Bleek is in Jay’s will somewhere, so I’m sure he’s not sweating the jokes). However, if Vic can overcome the troubles he detailed on his last release, legal issues, and beef with DJ Akademiks, surely he can finally live up to his potential and Jay-Z’s high expectations.
