The Autobiography (Vic Mensa album)

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The Autobiography
Studio album by
Vic Mensa
ReleasedJuly 28, 2017
GenreHip hop
Length60:29
Label
Producer
Vic Mensa chronology
The Manuscript
(2017) 		The Autobiography
(2017) 		Hooligans
(2018)
Singles from The Autobiography
  1. "Wings"
    Released: July 13, 2017

The Autobiography is the debut studio album by American rapper Vic Mensa. The album was released on July 28, 2017, by Roc Nation and Capitol Records.[1] The album features guest appearances from Weezer, Syd, The-Dream, Chief Keef, Joey Purp, Pharrell Williams, Saul Williams, Ty Dolla Sign and Pusha T.[2] The album was released for streaming, a week early from its release date via NPR.[3]

Background[edit]

On July 11, 2017, the release date for the album was revealed.[4] On July 14, 2017, the album's cover art was released.[2] Vic Mensa explained the concept behind The Autobiography during an interview with Rap-Up, saying:

"It’s a human album, It explores my humanity, mainly, and I leave that to the listener to make parallels to themselves. When I say that the album is my blood, sweat, and tears, and everything I’ve learned up to this point, it’s just because it literally is."[5]

From a musical standpoint, Vic Mensa drew inspiration from 1990s hip hop while making the album.[6] He recruited No I.D. to executive produce the album.[7] In an interview with Billboard, Mensa stated that No I.D. helped him "create a consolidated, concise body of work."[7]

Singles[edit]

The album's lead single "Wings" was released on July 13, 2017.[8][9] Three tracks from the album, "Rollin Like a Stoner", "Rage" and "OMG" were previously released from his EP The Manuscript, which was a prelude to the album.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Clash7/10[12]
The Guardian[13]
HotNewHipHop71%[14]
NME[15]
Paste7.5/10[16]
Pitchfork6.9/10[17]
PopMatters[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
XXL3/5 (L)[20]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, The Autobiography received an average score of 71 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Will Rosebury of Clash gave the album a 7 out of 10, saying, "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."[12] Jay Balfour of Pitchfork gave the album a 6.9 out of 10, saying, "Perhaps Mensa has been less urgent in developing his artistry, but The Autobiography gathers up all his charms, including his most compelling case as a genre-agnostic vocalist alongside some missed-the-mark rock crossovers."[17]

Jordan Bassett of NME gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and called it "a scattershot album gelled together by Mensa's emotionally frank lyrics, which reveal a complex persona".[15] Nastia Voynovskaya of Paste gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, saying, "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."[16] Christopher Thiessen of PopMatters gave the album 6 stars out of 10, stating that "While it may not be his most innovative offering, detailed execution and honesty make it worthwhile."[18]

On July 25, 2017, it was listed by Stereogum as their album of the week.[21]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
ABC News 50 Best Albums of 2017
21
[22]
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2017
38
[23]
Rolling Stone 40 Best Rap Albums of 2017
36
[24]

Commercial performance[edit]

The Autobiography debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200,[25] selling 15,977 copies in its first week.[26]

Track listing[edit]

The Autobiography[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Didn't I (Say I Didn't)"
5:15
2."Memories on 47th St."
4:02
3."Rollin' Like a Stoner"
  • 1500 or Nothin'
  • No I.D.
  • Dean
  • Kosine[b]
3:16
4."Homewrecker" (featuring Weezer)
  • Mensa
  • No I.D.
4:08
5."Gorgeous" (featuring Syd)
  • 1500 or Nothin'
  • No I.D.
4:30
6."Heaven on Earth" (featuring The-Dream)
  • Smoko Ono
  • Papi Beatz
  • No I.D.
  • Mensa
5:17
7."Card Cracker" (skit)
Mensa1:10
8."Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby)" (featuring Chief Keef and Joey Purp)
  • No I.D.
  • Dean
  • Mensa
4:25
9."Coffee & Cigarettes"
  • Papi Beatz
  • Keith
  • No I.D.
4:30
10."Wings" (featuring Pharrell Williams and Saul Williams)
P. Williams4:03
11."Heaven on Earth" (reprise)
2:06
12."The Fire Next Time"
No I.D.3:44
13."We Could Be Free" (featuring Ty Dolla $ign)
  • Mensah
  • Dopson
  • Jones
  • Glenda Proby
  • Griffin, Jr.
1500 or Nothin'4:55
Total length:51:19
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Rage"
  • Mensah
  • Dean
  • Keith
5:19
15."OMG" (featuring Pusha T)
P. Williams3:50
Total length:60:29

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "Memories on 47th St." features uncredited vocals by Mr Hudson
  • "Heaven on Earth" features additional vocals by Dreezy
  • "Card Cracker" skit is performed by Edward "Ugly Eddie" Davis and Deon Cole
  • "Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby)" features additional vocals by Ellie "Kyiki" Fletcher
  • "Wings" features additional vocals by Mekkel Carter
  • "OMG" features uncredited vocals by Pharrell Williams

Sample credits

Charts[edit]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[27] 8
US Billboard 200[28] 27
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29] 18
US Digital Albums (Billboard)[30] 9
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[31] 24

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "The Autobiography by Vic Mensa on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Vic Mensa Shares 'The Autobiography' Album Cover, Tracklist and New Song "Wings"". XXL. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "First Listen: Vic Mensa, 'The Autobiography'". NPR. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  4. ^ "Vic Mensa Announces Debut Album 'The Autobiography'". Vibe. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: Vic Mensa Talks 'The Autobiography,' Jay-Z, & Chance the Rapper". Rap-Up. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  6. ^ Lang, Cady (August 16, 2017). "Rapper Vic Mensa on His Political Debut Album: 'I Could Never Choose to Be Ignorant'". Time. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Hyman, Dan (July 28, 2017). "Vic Mensa's New Album Follows Drug Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts: 'I Was So Lost'". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  8. ^ "Listen to "Wings," Vic Mensa's New Single with Pharrell and Saul Williams". Vice. July 14, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  9. ^ "Vic Mensa – "Wings" ft. Pharrell Williams & Saul Williams". Spin. July 14, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "The Autobiography by Vic Mensa". Metacritic. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  11. ^ Kellman, Andy (July 27, 2017). "Review: Vic Mensa | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Rosebury, Will (August 7, 2017). "Vic Mensa - The Autobiography". Clash. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  13. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (July 27, 2017). "Vic Mensa: The Autobiography review – candid rapper falls short". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  14. ^ Bryan, Richard (August 6, 2017). "Vic Mensa's "The Autobiography" (Review)". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Bassett, Jordan (August 3, 2017). "Vic Mensa – 'The Autobiography' Review". NME. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Voynovskaya, Nastia (August 3, 2017). "Vic Mensa: The Autobiography Review". Paste. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Balfour, Jay (July 31, 2017). "Vic Mensa: The Autobiography Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Thiessen, Christopher (August 25, 2017). "Vic Mensa: The Autobiography". PopMatters. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  19. ^ Weingarten, Christopher. "Review: Vic Mensa's 'The Autobiography'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  20. ^ Preezy (August 8, 2017). "Vic Mensa Shares His Life Story on 'The Autobiography' Album". XXL. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  21. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 25, 2017). "Album Of The Week: Vic Mensa The Autobiography". Stereogum. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  22. ^ "50 best albums of 2017". ABC News. December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  23. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2017". Consequence of Sound. December 26, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  24. ^ "40 Best Rap Albums of 2017: 36. Vic Mensa, 'The Autobiography'". Rolling Stone. December 22, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Eustice, Kyle (August 7, 2017). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Vic Mensa's "The Autobiography" Is His Biggest Project Yet". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Ortiz, Edwin (December 30, 2017). "Here Are the First Week Album Numbers in 2017". Complex. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  27. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  28. ^ "Vic Mensa Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  29. ^ "Vic Mensa Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  30. ^ "Vic Mensa Chart History (Digital Albums)".[dead link] Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  31. ^ "Vic Mensa Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2017.

External links[edit]

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