Chance The Rapper Vic Mensa To Launch Music And Arts Festival In West Africa
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Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa have announced plans to launch a music and arts festival in West Africa as part of their effort to connect Black musicians and creators across the globe in the heart of the diaspora. Titled the Black Star Line Festival after pivotal civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s international shipping line, the event is scheduled to take place on Jan. 6. 2023 at the historic Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana.
The two Chicago natives recently shared the announcement at an unknown location in Ghana.
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“When Vic and I started our careers and started touring, we did shows all over the U.S.,” Chance said in a statement. “Eventually, we started touring in Europe, we did shows in Asia, South America, Central America, but we never had a chance to play our music for the people who support us the most. When we came here and touched down and felt the love that we received and the fans that we got to connect with, the understanding for the need for the connection became apparent to us. We need a music festival bringing major artists to Ghana. This is what we’re working to create.”
News of the festival comes after Chance and Mensa made multiple trips to Ghana this year. Their latest visit found the Chicagoans hosting eight students from their home city. The lucky group learned firsthand about their cultural roots and got a chance to experience the motherland.
“A year ago, we had the idea to take a group of kids from Chicago to Ghana,” wrote Vic Mensa (who is actually of Ghanaian descent) in his post. “There are some things about yourself that you can only understand by knowing where you come from. Our dream is to build bridges that cross the ocean of divide created by the transatlantic slave trade. Today we are one step closer to actualizing that dream.”
On the music front, Chance The Rapper released his single and video “The Highs & The Lows” featuring Joey Bada$$ and dropped the music video for “A Bar About A Bar” featuring Vic Mensa. Chance’s forthcoming album, Star Line Gallery, is slated to arrive later this year.
