I have been so behind with posting so, I’m playing catch up a bit and covering some past topics.

So, last Monday on “Indigenous Peoples’ Day”, Vic Mensa came to Howard University for an informal Q&A in the historic Founders Library before his show at U Street Music Hall. Now, as great at my university is, it has been known to fall short at times when it comes to organization, but somehow we pulled this one off. Apparently, Vic was supposed to have a show in D.C. that day and “they” were trying to cancel it. I have no idea who “they” is, but Vic took to Twitter to ask for help from Howard, and students came through. One of our business fraternities on campus, Delta Sigma Pi, reached out and was able to help bring Vic to campus, host a happy hour, and perform later that night.

Being the dedicated student that I am, I decided to skip my last class and attend the Q&A in Founders. Without doing so, I wouldn’t be able to write this post for that very same class; so, if my professor is reading this, just know that I was M.I.A. for academic purposes *wink, wink*.

Once Vic arrived and got settled in, the conversation and questions started (moderated by the chair of our African American Studies Department, Dr. Gregory Carr). Students engaged the Chicago rapper with questions about current events, the music business, and his recent release, The Autobiography, and his inspiration for that album. Now, I am a fan of Vic Mensa for many reasons. Of those, is that fact that he is a very passionate and intellectual artist. I’d noticed that energy in previous interviews I’d seen, and I was curious to see if I was right. Sitting in that room with him made me not only want to go listen to his album again, but he also made me want to go read a book. It’s very inspiring to hear young artists talk about his background, the black community, culture, history, music, literature all in one sitting. I could tell that he is the type of person that is constantly seeking knowledge and looking to educate himself to find the truth rather than the cookie cutter “white” history taught in most primary and secondary schools. I would actually love to have a conversation with him and know what he’s read, and to get a more in-depth take on his views of the culture today. I can already see hope for the future of hip hop if more artists like Vic Mensa are what’s coming. Like I’ve said before, we need y’all.

Make sure to comment and let me know how y’all feel about the state of hip hop today. Sending love and positive energy to you all!