Rapper Vic Mensa to speak at UIC

The UIC Center for Student Involvement and UIC National Pan-Hellenic Council are partnering up to host Real Talk with Vic Mensa at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 in the UIC Forum.

Mensa is a Grammy-nominated artist who is native to Chicago, and has been an integral part of the Chicago hip-hop scene for years. He is attributed as the founder of the Chicago rap-collective SAVEMONEY, which featured local talents Chance the Rapper, Towkio, and Joey Purp, to name a few.

Mensa released the mix-tape INNANETAPE in 2013, landing him on the cover of XXL Magazine for the Freshman Class of 2014. Mensa then signed with Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation and released the critically acclaimed EP There’s A Lot Going On in 2016, and his debut album, The Autobiography, in 2017.

Mensa has worked with artists Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Pharrell, Weezer, and many more. His music offers a unique, lyrically heavy and smooth sound, touching on topics ranging from police brutality and social injustice, to relationships and drug addiction.

The event is free for UIC students with i-card; RSVP online. Employees, alumni and the public can purchase tickets for $25.