Vic Mensa opened “The Vic Mensa Show” with a guest whose history with him reaches back to adolescence: Chance the Rapper.
The Chicago rappers used the premiere to revisit a friendship that began when they were about 14. That relationship eventually helped shape Save Money, the collective that influenced Chicago hip-hop.
Mensa said he first encountered Chance at Jones College Prep during an open mic. Mensa had traveled from Whitney Young Magnet High School to perform.
He spotted Chance in the school lunchroom. At the time, Mensa admitted his microphone skills had not caught up with his ambitions.
Still, the meeting marked the start of a friendship that would span decades. The two later became prominent figures within Chicago’s independent rap scene.
Mensa recalled one of their earliest recording sessions. They worked on a song called “Lord Release,” with Mensa’s father paying for studio time.
Their loyalty also faced an early test. Mensa said older students had threatened Chance at school.
According to Mensa, he responded by bringing roughly 25 people from Whitney Young. The confrontation became physical.
Save Money’s Vic Mensa & Chance The Rapper Discuss Their Friendship On The Debut Episode Of The Vic Mensa Show
Mensa previously described the episode during an appearance on “All the Smoke.”
“Long story short, you know, found them, beat they ass, for fucking with Chance,” Mensa said. “It was just like, so we’ve been locked in since childhood.”
Chance later captured that bond on his 2013 mixtape “Acid Rap.” On “Acid Rain,” he referenced the competitive edge between the two friends.
“But if you touch my brother,” Chance rapped, “all that anti-violence shit goes out the window.”
The friendship became part of the foundation for Save Money. The collective brought together Chicago artists who helped define a new generation of local hip-hop.
“The Vic Mensa Show” now gives Mensa another platform to explore those relationships. The 24-episode series expands on his Orange Tree video series.
Mensa said Orange Tree showed him the power of conversation. He described that potential through “radical ideas, humor, honesty and vulnerability.”
Chance’s appearance established the tone. It also placed one of Chicago hip-hop’s most enduring friendships at the center of Mensa’s new chapter.
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