THE HONEST TRUTH

Vic Mensa is busy adjusting his camera, trying to get it right. He changes it from mobile to laptop view, the neon blue lights from across the room transforming his hue, before he disappears entirely. After a few seconds, he returns again. “Well, that didn’t change anything,” he says sarcastically, signalling his unhappiness.

This kind of perfectionism shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows him closely. For the last couple of months, the 27-year-old rapper’s social media output has detailed a rigorous work ethic: his Instagram feed currently serves as a complete visual archive of the creation of V TAPE, his most recent release, alongside strategic teasers of upcoming collaborations yet to see the light of the day. For Mensa, the studio – working, creating – has served as a safe space throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

But he’s also been learning to live in the moment. Leaning back into the black leather sofa behind him, his white t-shirt instantly contrasting with it, he explains how, Eckhart Tolle’s bestselling guide, which argues in favour of a renewed focus on day-to-day living. The Chicago native says he was recently swayed into revisiting the book by a close friend, who’s currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for gun charges. (In the past, Vic has shared his thoughts on the sentence in relation to the crime at hand – which saw James shoot someone in the leg. We don’t touch on it today.)