SXSW Preview: Vic Mensa
Chance The Rapper was probably the most buzzed about rapper of 2013 (Macklemore? Ugh…don’t even…). The hype was justified as Chance’s “Acid Rap“ mixtape was one of the most thrilling…
By Travis Holcombe • • 1 min readChance The Rapper was probably the most buzzed about rapper of 2013 (Macklemore? Ugh…don’t even…).
The hype was justified as Chance’s “Acid Rap“ mixtape was one of the most thrilling releases of the year. But, in my opinion, the crown for best mixtape of 2013 fit squarely on the head of Chance’s friend, fellow Chicagoan and SaveMoney crew cohort, Vic Mensa for his “Innanetape“ mixtape.
In terms of rapping ability, it’s a draw — Chance and Vic are both light years beyond their age (neither is old enough to legally drink yet), but where Mensa’s “Innanetape“ noses out “Acid Rap“ for me is in its sheer eclecticism.
Tracks like the Pharcyde-indebted “Orange Soda” and “RUN!“, which features Thundercat, have been getting regular play on my show for months now and prove Mensa is an artist with a crazy amount of range and an equally crazy amount of potential.
You can stream/embed and download the mixtape here.
Editor’s Note: It appears his SXSW showcase dates are still TBD.