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Vic Mensa went deep in depth about solidifying his spirit, and the beef he had with DJ Akademiks in the past, via a new interview.
The Chicago native sat down for a lengthy profile with Paper, in which he spoke heavily about his creative and personal journey to this point. Going back to Ghana, where his father’s family still resides, has been vital. “I’ve been able to build some pretty phenomenal things using that privilege and treat it as an opportunity to play that role to be the bridge between Black America and Africa,” Mensa said.
While the There’s A Lot Going On artist has been striving towards bettering himself on all fronts, he did touch upon a recent moment where a clip where he publicly called out media personality DJ Akademiks for exploitation of the Chicago drill scene and violence re-emerged. Mensa said it came from a personal connection.
“Because a kid that I grew up with and went to karate with when we were five years old ended up being a street n***a, gang banging, et cetera. He was also a very talented rapper. When he got killed, there was music involved, there were big drill artists involved, and I heard about it on Akademiks’ parasitic platform. So that’s why I was upset,” he said.
Mensa prefaced that by speaking at length about the differences between the emerging drill scene in Ghana and what already exists in Chicago. “Their music largely reflects their realities, which are not the same as American drill realities. Ghana is a very peaceful place. People don’t get killed like that. There’s a lot of struggle though, so their music is rooted in struggle,” he remarked.
The former Ye collaborator also spoke about his commitment to sobriety, which helped him confront various moments in his past and recalibrate his relationships. He also talked about how he’s come to accept being labeled a conscious rapper: “I can never be mad at the idea of being a conscious rapper. The truth is just that I’m a multifaceted person.”
Vic Mensa also spoke about his foray into punk music, and how he and Chance The Rapper linked up along with Erykah Badu and other artists to organize and perform at the Black Star Line Festival that took place in January.
—Photo: Momodu Mansaray / Getty
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R. Kelly has received some favorable news regarding his ongoing legal matters. Illinois prosecutors have dropped sexual assault charges against him.
As per Raw Story, R. Kelly is sighing a breath of relief this week. On Monday (Jan. 30), Cook County Attorney Kim Foxx announced that the state will no longer be pursuing the indictments filed back in 2019. The charges include aggravated criminal sexual abuse and assault and allegedly involved four female victims; three are said to have been underage at the time of the crimes. At a news conference, Foxx explained the reasoning behind the statement in detail.
In essence, timing played a significant role in their decision as two other federal trials took priority. “Due to the extensive sentences these convictions hold, our offices have decided not to expend our limited resources and court time with the indictments” she explained. But with this decision, some of his accusers feel their voices have been silenced.
Lanita Carter, who claims she was assaulted by R. Kelly back in February of 2003, admits she was “extremely disappointed” when she heard the charges were dropped.
“I have spent nearly 20 years hoping that my abuser would be brought to justice for what he did to me. With today’s announcement, all hope of justice for my case is gone,” Carter said in a statement to AP News.
As expected R. Kelly’s legal team agrees with the decision. Steven Greenberg spoke with ABC 7 Chicago about the matter. “In my opinion, the charges should have never been brought in the first place,” Greenberg said.
You can see the press conference below.
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Photo: Getty
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FBG Duck, a rapper and reported member of a Gangster Disciples faction, was shot and killed in a brazen afternoon shooting apparently in retaliation to gang-related threats. According to an alleged report from the FBI, slain rapper King Von was behind ordering the hit to the tune of $100,000.
From what we gathered from a previous Chicago Sun-Times report, FBG Duck, real name Carlton Weekly, was shot in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood while shopping back in the summer of 2020. Weekly, who was affiliated with the Fly Boy Gang and a member of the Gangster Disciples offshoot faction Tooka, reportedly taunted rivals from the Black Disciples gang. Much of this recent ongoing war between members of the Gangster Disciples and the Black Disciples can be traced as far back as 2011.
Content page Chicagoscene88 allegedly obtained documents from the FBI stating that King Von masterminded the hit by initially offering $50,000 ad later doubling the amount.
A witness in the report claims that King Von gave out chains to O Block gang members over FBG Duck’s killing and named the shooters involved, most notably Muwop. A scan of Chicagoscene88’s Instagram page showcases additional information from the report. There has not been an official announcement made as of yet from the FBI or investigators in the still-open case.
In October of 2021, five people were arrested in connection to Duck’s murder, Marcus “Muwop” Smart, Christopher “C Thang” Thomas, Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, Kenneth “Kenny” Roberson, and Charles “C-Murda” Liggins. The group will face a trial this coming October.
King Von was shot and killed in Atlanta in 2020 following an incident between his crew and members of fellow rapper Quando Rando’s entourage outside a lounge.
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Photo: Prince Williams / Getty
