The Autobiography (Deluxe)

Few things have moved Kanye West to action like the blowback he received upon removing Vic Mensa from 2015 Pablo standout “Wolves”. They’d premiered it (alongside Sia) during an SNL performance, an introduction to Mensa that many apparently cherished. Kanye would bring Mensa back via another edit, but it would take his guest’s debut album for the world to really know who he is. The Autobiography covers Mensa’s upbringing in Chicago’s violent South Side (“Memories on 47th St.”), his struggles with drug use and infidelity (“Wings”) and his most pronounced legacy to date, Mensa’s Black Lives Matter activism (“We Could Be Free”). The alt-rock-tinged “Rage”—which Mensa once claimed was a favourite of Beyoncé's—and “Omg (feat. Pusha T)” appear as bonus tracks.