Vic Mensa performs private show for Summer of Collaboration
Summer of Collaboration presented by AT&T partnered with Vic Mensa for a private show at Chicago's AT&T Michigan Ave store with street photographer Vivian Maier’s.
Maier was street photography’s best kept secret. Maier worked as a nanny in the Chicago suburb North Shore in the late 1990’s. That's where while working she took what would become some of the best street photography.
Maier’s work almost never saw the light of day if it wasn’t for Chicago artist John Maloof. Maloof purchased Maier’s extensive work at an auction. He found an extensive amount of film, negatives, and prints of hundred rolls of film, home movies, and audio tape interviews that all belonged to Maier.
Maloof hosted a presentation going over Maier’s mysterious life and talking about her work and the impact surrounding it. Described as a Mary Poppin’s type, this introverted photographer opened her subjects up in the most beautiful way.
Chicago rapper Vic Mensa when up on stage admired Maloof’s courage and passion for being bold and fearless. Mensa was set to perform only three songs but added an additional for go measure. He performed: 16 Shots, Shades of Blue, There’s Alot Going On, and U Mad.
We recently caught Vic Mensa at The Vic Theater while on his "There’s Alot Going On" Tour. While at the Summer of Collaboration event we witnessed a side of Mensa that most music fans don’t. Pegged as a south side rapper and Kanye West pupil, Mensa is keeping busy with work outside the studio.
Vic Mensa has been politically active when it’s come to personal issues. Vic Mensa participated in the Laquan McDonald demonstrations. He also volunteered at Flint, Michigan during their water crisis. Vic urges young voters to register to vote by offering his latest EP “There’s ALot Going On” for free when they registered to vote.
Vic Mensa made sure his personal efforts were made clear as the Roc Nation rapper treated fans to a stadium caliber performance. With so few attending the private event, from seeing the incredible photographs from Maloof and seeing one of best in the city with Vic Mensa, the Summer of Collaboration was one of the purest ways to end the summer off right.
View our photo gallery of Vic Mensa’s Summer of Collaboration event below!
[Album] Vic Mensa: "Innanetape"
Download INNANETAPE here --> Vic Mensa: "INNANETAPE"
Talk about a long wait. Today, Chicago's own Vic Mensa released the long overdue follow up to his 2009 solo debut mixtape, Straight Up EP, with the most highly-anticipated release since Chance The Rapper's Acid Rap in April. To step back into the solo spotlight, the Save Money member and former Kids These Days frontman gives us Innanetape, a truly different, at times experimental hip hop release from one of the most fully-formed artists in Chicago. Four years ago, Straight Up Ep served as the spark that lit the wick, leading to the eventual explosion of talent we've seen coming from the Second City over the past few years. At a raucous listening party sponsored by IllRoots and Adidas this past weekend at Lacuna Artist Lofts on the city's southwest side, Mensa performed much of the tape to eager fans, seeming to relish in the moment of limbo before the tape became publicly available. Executive produced by Peter CottonTale and Cam Osteen, it is a multi-genre project with features from Chance The Rapper, BJ The Chicago Kid, Rockie Fresh, Joey Purp and Tundercat that should appeal to a wide range of listeners. If tracks like "Diditb4", "Orange Soda" and "Lovely Day" are any inkling to what is in store, those fans shouldn't be disappointed. Mensa is widely credited with helping open the door for Chicago artists, and it's one he now walks through himself-with the potential to be one of the biggest stars to emerge from his hometown. With a city that has a history including Twista, Common and Kanye, that's saying something. Give Innanetape a listen below and keep it posted to RH all week for my continuing coverage on the release.
http://youtu.be/BewDnzmyZ5E
[Video] The Making of Innanetape
The anticipation is building as each day of the week that goes by brings us closer to the release of Vic Mensa's Innanetape, due out September 30. The tape is the re-introduction to Mensa as a solo artist since dropping Straight Up EP when he was 16. Heart of The City hung out while Vic did his thing in the studio and today released a video documenting the construction of the Innanetape. Check out the footage below.
http://youtu.be/3Hd6nXIahhc