Vic Mensa to expand his ‘Orange Tree’ thoughts with launch of new podcast, ‘The Vic Mensa Show’
TheGrio...
Releasing every Wednesday, the new podcast from the outspoken rapper and activist will feature wide-ranging conversations with his peers across entertainment and activism.
Vic Mensa is slowly stepping away from his now infamous “Orange Tree,” sort of.
On Tuesday (Aug. 11), the Chicago native revealed the trailer for “The Vic Mensa Show,” a podcast born of the popularity of his Webby Award-winning series, in which he stood in front of his orange tree and discussed numerous topics focused on the intersections of race, socioeconomic conditions and pop culture.
“Music, culture and politics have always been intrinsically intertwined in my practice and in the larger tradition from which I emerge,” Mensa explained to Billboard “So much of my historical and political lens has derived its impetus from music; whether learning about Assata [Shakur] from Common, conflict diamonds from Lupe [Fiasco] and Kanye [West], or capitalism from Lauryn [Hill].”
In the trailer for the launch of the show, Mensa gets kidnapped by an individual who urges him to start a podcast after Mensa’s recent comments on a clip from Cam’ron and a similar conversation between Toris Montez and Veto last month and why some Black Americans would deny their ancestry begins in Africa.
Since he began the series, Mensa has brought sharp, pointed context to a wide range of topics, including women in hip-hop, the World Cup, fatherhood, the gutting of the Voting Rights Act and its effects in states like Tennessee, and more.
“As I further unpeeled the ideas that hip-hop introduced me to, the conversation expanded beyond song, finding its way into my writings in outlets like The New York Times and Time, and ultimately into my Orange Tree series,” Mensa said. “From that evolution, The Vic Mensa Show was born — a space to deepen the dialogue by involving artists, thinkers, loved ones and brilliant minds across mediums in the many discussions I’ve been holding about the human condition.”
The 24-episode first season will feature plenty of guests and conversations, from longtime collaborator Chance The Rapper to fellow Chicagoan Lena Waithe, Van Lathan Jr., Durand Bernarr, Rapsody, Aja Monet and more.
“The Orange Tree illustrated for me the transcendent possibilities of conversation: a space for the discussion of radical ideas, humor, honesty and vulnerability,” Mensa said in a statement. “What began as a conversation with my community online is now expanding, through The Vic Mensa Show, to include great minds that I respect across many disciplines.”
“The Vic Mensa Show” launches on Aug. 26 in conjunction with Mass Appeal and will be released on all streaming platforms, including Apple and Spotify. See the outrageous trailer below.