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For rapper Vic Mensa, regularly performing in places as far flung as Australia but not his ancestral Africa seemed ridiculous—so he decided to do something about it.
The South Side Chicago native could not stomach major artists regularly skipping the African continent during their tours and has created a festival to show the music industry it can be done.
So along with his world famous high school buddy, Chance the Rapper, Mensa created the Black Star Line Festival in Ghana's capital, Accra.
Born to a Ghanian dad and white mom from upstate New York, Mensa first visited Ghana when he was around 11 years old and described it as "scary" because he had never been outside of America.
But once he'd got over the culture shock it quickly "became a very beautiful experience."
"I believe it gave me a lot of context on myself coming from these three drastically different worlds ... I never really had a sense of belonging and as a kid and I believe going to Ghana gave me context and pride in where I'm from," Mensa told Newsweek.
Taking place on January 6, 2023, Mensa has managed to bring together some huge names for the lineup, including Dave Chappelle, Erykah Badu, T-Pain and, of course, Mensa and Chance themselves.
The free festival aims to unite artists across the diaspora and will be held in Accra's historic Black Star Square, the monument to the Ghanians fight for independence from the British empire in 1957.
Some of the reasons artists are believed to bypass Africa when it comes to live shows is the high cost to tour there in comparison to the low revenue they're likely to earn on the continent. Artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé have been criticized for adopting African influences in their music and style, but then skipping the region when it comes to touring.
But for Mensa, one of the principal reasons for the neglect is an internalized superiority complex that has "othered" Africa, even if those artists have African roots themselves.
He explained the object of "colonialism is to create a barrier", where there is not only a financial limitation on artists touring there but a cultural campaign to perceive Africa as inferior. He says this stops artists and those in the diaspora from experiencing Africa, which then continues to disempower the many countries and cultures across the continent.
Keen to promote the region and its talent, the Black Star Live festival is more than just a live music festival and will feature a week-long series of events throughout Accra.
Described as a "cultural exchange" by Mensa, the events will include panel discussions and even a skateboarding workshop. The free gatherings will provide opportunities for education, enrichment and cultural diffusion.
The entire festival is a way for the rapper to "crash the narrative of extraction," referring to colonial powers ransacking Africa of its natural resources and cultural riches.
Mensa has started a series development projects including creating access to clean water in the "slum where my family lives."
"So often it is: turn up, suck Africa dry, and then leave. I wanted to make sure that we were doing this on purpose and that we were leaving behind things that could be of value to people," he explained.
Aside from organizing a major cultural festival, the beginning of 2023 will be a busy one for Mensa. He will be releasing his sophomore album and is getting ready to star in the drama African/American about the rise of South Africa's hip-hop scene in the country's post-apartheid renaissance.
He also recently opened the SKIN + MASKS exhibition at Chicago's Kavi Gupta Gallery, which aimed to express Black art and identity outside of the white gaze.
But he has no plans to slow down and wants to run the festival across Africa and start an art program in Ghana.
Juggling so many projects has been overwhelming, Mensa said, especially with , added expectation of serving a greater purpose. So he recently consulted his local Imam to make sure he was on the right path.
"He told me, 'when you're doing good, expect reward from God'," Mensa recalled, which does not necessarily mean material riches, but made him feel reassured that "many of things I'm doing right now are more civic service than self-serving."
"I have faith in its entirety this moment will be rewarded, in whatever way that may manifest."
This article was updated on 12/30/2022 at 11.35 a.m. ET.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more