Vic Mensa Tells Hot Press Exactly What's Going On

Hours before Vic Mensa chats to Hot Press, he appears on a roundtable discussion on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore - and promptly makes a name for himself with a whole new audience.
True, his comments are part of a broader debate on cultural appropriation, but the 'Vic Mensa Attacks Justin Timberlake!' headlines have a predictably incendiary effect.
"I guess I have that Timberlake-hive coming at me!" he laughs, watching his Twitter mentions go haywire. "I don't pay a lot of attention to Twitter though; I don't spend time thinking about the opinions of anonymous people."
There's plenty of people with real names - and decidedly big names at that - whose opinions are likely worth more to him; Jay Z, for example, who claimed the Chicago rapper for Roc Nation, or Kanye West, who recruited his services for recent track 'Wolves'. He's also found enormous popularity on the live circuit, where hip hop can occasionally leave audiences underwhelmed.
"I enjoy performing," says the 23-year-old. "I mean, I don't enjoy it as much as being in studio - that's probably my favourite place to be - but I like the stage 'cos I believe the shit I'm saying. I haven't toured my new stuff in Europe, so I guess we'll see how it goes, but generally crowds are responsive."
The question of how tracks from his new There's A Lot Going On EP go down on this side of the Atlantic is pertinent given the subject matter. Gun violence, police brutality, the Flint water crisis, and the Black Lives Matter movement all feature prominently. Obviously, there's an audience far beyond his home shores interested in what he has to say; does that enter his thoughts when writing? "First and foremost, I'm speaking to the young nigga in my neighbourhood who's seeing this shit first-hand. It's important that we have black voices talking about the things going on around us, and holding people accountable - and offering solutions too. But at the same time, I do think about others - in Dublin, Japan, South America, wherever - and bringing them into my world and the things we're going through."
Indeed, that primer probably wouldn't go amiss for plenty of Irish listeners. Yours truly experienced Chicago on a J1 summer - but days on Navy Pier and nights in the bars of Wrigleyville sound a little removed from the reality of what Mensa is talking about.
"Nah, because that's a reality of Chicago too," he points out. "I think that's what some misunderstand, thinking it's all some dangerous war zone because certain areas can be like that. You can be downtown, or on the Northside, and never experience what happens on the Southside. The city is just very segregated - the money looks after the money, and the poor are left to die. I love the Southside. It can be scary sometimes - and just dangerous - but I'm focused on helping people grow and evolve."
To that end, he's become rightly involved in getting fellow countrymen mobilised for the upcoming Presidential election, making the new EP free to those who pledge to vote. And, considering how in-tune he is with the dangers of division and inequality, it's little surprise to hear his thoughts on the Republican frontrunner.
"It's insane that anyone is even considering the possibility of living with Donald Trump as President. The media has blown him into something like a Monstar from Space Jam. They sensationalise his entire campaign, using it to get ratings on TV or clicks on their websites, and people have become entranced by the idea of his antics while looking past what he's talking about, and how divisive it is.
He continues: "What people are turning a blind eye to, or maybe just not realising, is that Make America Great Again is really Make America White Again. He's fuelled by the people who are livid that they've had a black Commander-in-Chief for the past eight years."
There are some, I point out, less than enthused about the Democratic candidate too. He laughs, but then explains: "The way I see it, I can't not support Hilary. I have to actively support an alternative. Sure, she has her blemishes, but overall she'd be a far better President."
By the time President Clinton II: This Time It's Hilary takes office (hopefully), we'll have a new Vic Mensa album to enjoy. Reporting that he's "deep in the process", the long-awaited debut should arrive before 2016 is done. And it's also not long until we see a whole new Vic Mensa too - having joined Damon Albarn in the studio for the new Gorillaz album, is he ready for life as a cartoon?
"Oh shit, I didn't even think about it yet," he laughs. "Man, I need to talk to someone about that..."

Vic Mensa plays Longitude on Sunday.