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This past weekend Vic Mensa released "Free Love," a track that finds the rapper advocating for LGBTQ equality. Featuring guest contributions from Le1f, Lil B, Malik Yusef and Halsey, "Free Love" celebrates love and challenges people to think openly and embrace each other. "Free love is not a luxury," sings Mensa throughout. "You can fuck who you want to fuck."
According to a letter that the Savemoney founder wrote alongside "Free Love," the song was inspired by a conversation he had with a family member who revealed that they were "queer" to him this year. "It made me uncomfortable at first. And that's good," Mensa writes about hearing the confession. "We have to be removed from our comfort zone to be able to grow. Looking at the world around me, I realize now that as a creature of love, the battles of all people fighting to love are also mine. And I will stand with them. Will you?"
"Free Love," which was released on Sunday, was a fitting soundtrack for the weekend. Multiple countries across the world celebrated LGBT Pride Month with parades and events. Those celebrations mean so much more than they ever have before, considering the tragic mass shooting that occurred at Orlando nightclub Pulse two weeks ago.
Prior to "Free Love" the Chicago artist dropped his There's Alot Going On EP, a seven song release that found Mensa addressing Flint Michigan's ongoing water crisis and the death of Laquan McDonald. "We’re going to need all the help we can get if we're gonna make things right, cause' There's Alot Going On," the rapper wrote in a letter for the EP. "Keep fighting the good fight."
Although it's unknown when we'll be getting Mensa's long-awaited debut album, it'll be interesting to see if he continues to head in a direction similar to what he's offered on "Free Love" and There's Alot Going On.
