Back in the summer of 2011 I was taking a journalism course at Loyola University Chicago. On this website I posted my final assignments and haven't touched it since. Since I took a great amount of pride in the work I did, I came back to this and realized I had a saved draft of my interview with Vic Mensa. This is the unabridged first draft, that wasn't turned in because of the assignment requirements. But since Vic is really gaining popularity with his music right now in 2015, I'm posting the original draft I had which included a more conversational tone.
Miguel Martinez
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Vic Mensa has the most potential out of any other up and coming rapper. Vic is the next big thing. Vic and his band Kids These Days are playing Lollapalooza on opening day. Vic is on the verge of blowing up and making his name known.
You have to be patient though. He just graduated out of Chicago's Whitney Young High School. His days of spending all day in school are over. He is committing to music now. Warning to every rapper: you should be scared. The young man from Hyde Park is ready to take hip hop by storm.
The Music
You may ask, "Whats so special about Vic?"
The talent is whats so special about him. He isn't just a solo rapper, he is in a unique band like no other.
The band isn't a rock band. It isn't a jazz band. It isn't a blues band. It's just a music band. Listen to their songs and you're going to love it. The band has influenced Vic's musical sense because it opened his eyes and ears to explore past hip-hop.
Vic explains, "KTD opened my eyes to different styles of music. They showed me how all music coexists within the collective fabric of music. They opened my eyes a lot more to music than genre."
His band has played SXSW (South by Southwest Festival) in Austin, TX which is one of the top music festivals where stars are made.
I asked him why the band is called Kids These Days.
He answered, "It's ironic because you always hear grandmas and grandpas thinking back to their days when music was everything. Now they always say, 'Oh kids these days don't play instruments anymore.' So it's like we flipped s**t because kids now a days don't really play instruments as much but Kids These Days do (laughs)."
Vic got into rapping through his friend Nico who is also a member of KTD. He got into the world of break dancing and grew interest in hip hop graffiti. Hip hop was a progression for him. It was naturally a better fit.
His musical influences area as diverse as the music he makes. He mostly listens to old hip hop from the '90s. He also listens to classical, soul, '60s & '70s and jazz. Listen to his music and you would be able to hear those influences.
His favorite MC growing up was Common. His favorite producer was J. Dilla. Although he had many interests, rap was primarily his favorite.
His reason, "He was once in my position, a young rapper from the 'Chi' that's trying to make it big and look at him now. That's going to be me someday"
The Motivation
Vic has big dreams. Growing up in an area where all he saw was people not being able to live their dreams, he is determined and motivated to not end up being like some of those people. He has family in Ghana that he plans to help out when the money comes.
"I would buy my family in Ghana jeeps. They have crap roads and old cars." Vic said. Of course when he makes big money he said he would buy cars for himself to but his family would come first. He would also say that he would give back to his neighborhood of Hyde Park, which is in south side of Chicago.
One year Vic was performing at the Caribbean Summerfest. It was a small show, only about 500 people were there. He remembers one girl who went up to him while she was crying. She was a huge fan of his. She told him that she just loved his music so much.
His thoughts on that, "If you can touch people with your music, you got to keep doing it because you must be doing something right. It keeps you motivated to know that people really love your music"
Money isn't a real big motivator for Vic. Him and his crew have a motto that they love to use and live by; Save Money.
The phrase originated after him and his friends were watching music videos and they noticed all the rappers would be doing nothing but partying in the clubs, buying expensive liquor and just plain wasting money.
He says, "Get money, save money."
The City
Chicago is a beautiful city. The most amazing city the world has to offer. Just go on Michigan Avenue or Lake Shore Drive and you will fall in love. But step almost anywhere out of the loop and the city isn't so glamorous. Crime has overridden the city. Especially in the neighborhoods where poverty is common. The South and west sides of the city have seen the most violent changes.
"City is the landscape, it's work of art in its own." Vic represents Chicago, it's his city, his landscape, his canvas.
When asked what the music scene is like here in Chicago he said, "Too many good people."
Which means he knows there is always competition around the corner. I asked him who is main competition would be here in Chicago and he answered "Rockie."
Rockie being Rockie Fresh who in a past blog post I had him down as the second best rapper you don't know about, right behind Vic himself at number one.
With Chicago as his headquarters, a microphone as his channel and time on his hands, Vic is only going to improve time after time after time. One day Vic Mensa will be one of those household names to everyone in the music community. The best thing about all this, we get to see it all happen. Whether it be with KTD or his solo career, the journey for success for Vic has just begun.
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