The Autobiography is both rangy and controlled. On the mike, Mensa is ceaselessly impassioned.
It’s a scattershot album gelled together by Mensa’s emotionally frank lyrics, which reveal a complex persona: he appears at once secure in his talent as a musician, while keenly aware of the personal limitations that dog him.
Through Mensa’s forthright confessions, The Autobiography inspires as much as it speaks to our inner angsty adolescents—the ones who used to hole up in their rooms and blast Linkin Park at night.
His proper debut full-length might be letting you know who he really is.
Although the succession of lukewarm tracks early on prevents this from being a flawless debut, Vic Mensa does enough to keep the album an engaging listen even in its misguided moments.
Even when he swings and misses on the power pop outings, The Autobiography never casts Vic out of pocket despite all the mood switching. Still, it’s his rapping that got him here.
The Autobiography features some of Mensa’s strongest work yet, but it’s dragged down by weak songs, middling production, a bizarre track sequence which places gentle ballads right next to bombastic radio bangers, and cheesy similies that stick out like sore thumbs.
While the LP is worth the wait and a worthy debut, it lacks the explosive selections and raw exuberance that put Vic’s Innanetape mixtape in classic territory and ignited his buzz. However, the rapper manages to deliver an album that puts you in tune with who he is as a person, marks the horrors of his past, and is indicative of his bright future as one of the more impactful artists in hip-hop.
His candour about depression and drug addiction is arresting ... There are also some brilliant production flourishes ... The trouble is that the timbre of his voice is a little colourless, and audibly draws on the intonation of others.
Vic Mensa's long-awaited debut album delivers its fair share of grand and thoughtful highs, but also some cringe-worthy lows.
It all results in Vic Mensa trying to balance between the punchline rapper and the introspective one and doing neither particularly well, especially when compared to the artists that he wants to be compared with.
A vaguely political theme clouds over the album as a whole, and once Mensa finally gets his moment to shine, he falls miserably short.
Vic Mensa made this album
Which means it sucks
A few bangers, but also a lot of mid, as well as choices and ideas I couldn't care about if I tried
Weezer is on here though
That's cool
I think
When they were coming up, Vic and Chance were really tight and it seemed like they were going to bring Chicago to the top. Well, Chance had a much bigger breakout, and by the time this debut album by Vic came out, Chance was already one of the biggest acts out in hiphop. Ofcourse as we know, this album didn't make the splash Vic hoped for and his career went on a bit of a downward trend afterwards. He can certainly rap, and he has the writing skills necessary, so what happened?
The album ... read more
Vic Mensa made this album
Which means it sucks
A few bangers, but also a lot of mid, as well as choices and ideas I couldn't care about if I tried
Weezer is on here though
That's cool
I think
1 | Didn't I (Say I Didn't) 5:15 | 55 |
2 | Memories on 47th St. 4:02 | 50 |
3 | Rollin' Like a Stoner 3:15 | 52 |
4 | Homewrecker 4:08 feat. Weezer | 72 |
5 | Gorgeous 4:30 feat. Syd | 37 |
6 | Heaven on Earth 5:17 feat. The-Dream | 48 |
7 | Card Cracker (Skit) 1:10 | 25 |
8 | Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby) 4:25 feat. Chief Keef, Joey Purp | 44 |
9 | Coffee & Cigarettes 4:30 | 34 |
10 | Wings 4:02 feat. Pharrell Williams, Saul Williams | 54 |
11 | Heaven on Earth (Reprise) 2:06 | 48 |
12 | The Fire Next Time 3:44 | 52 |
13 | We Could Be Free 4:55 feat. Ty Dolla $ign | 50 |
14 | Rage 5:19 | 43 |
15 | OMG 3:51 feat. Pusha T | 54 |
#21 | / | ABC News |
#38 | / | Consequence of Sound |
/ | Esquire (UK) |