Vic Mensa Releases New Track “Empathy”

Follow WHIP Twitter Facebook Instagram

WRITTEN BY: Chad Gelfand

Vic Mensa Releases New Song “Empathy” in the Wake of Controversial XXXTentacion Diss

Rapper Vic Mensa released a new song “Empathy” on Wednesday after the controversy that surrounded his diss of XXXTentacion in which he referenced XXX and other accused women beaters in hip-hop. Over the famous N.O.R.E. track, Mensa referenced XXX when he said: “The only time you bear arms is in a wife beater, loser
Your favorite rapper’s a domestic abuser, ay.”

XXXtentacion was the subject of a Miami New Times article back in June detailing the alleged abuse that the X inflicted on his ex-girlfriend, Geneva Ayala. Including allegedly beating Ayala while pregnant with their child. The controversial rapper was murdered back in June during a robbery gone wrong. XXX was 20 years old.

A large part of the controversy surrounding Mensa around his posthumous diss of  XXX is that XXX’s mother was in the audience at the award show to collect her sons “Best New Artist Award” when Mensa’s cypher aired. Mensa took to Instagram to say, “I was not aware his mother would be in attendance & I offer her my deepest condolences,” while also defending his comments in a video on that same post stating that he “stands behind the statements” about condemning those who abuse women.

In his song, “Empathy” that dropped on Wednesday, Mensa raps about working on his empathy and trying to become a better person without creating unnecessary controversy. “I was just keeping it a stack, but all of my good intentions turn into bad press.”

Mensa is looking to recover from the bad press and fallout in the hip-hop community with the release of this new song. Prominent Florida based musician and friend of XXX, DJ Scheme was in attendance at the Hip-Hop awards and took to Twitter to call Mensa a “B—- A– Mother F—–,” as well as alluding Mensa past with domestic violence himself where Mensa admitted in a 2016 interview with Chicago Reader to choking his girlfriend in a fight.

Mensa addressed the domestic violence incident during a 2016 interview with the Breakfast Club, apologizing for his actions and stating that he learned from the experience. On Empathy Mensa also seemingly addresses criticism of him being an imperfect messenger, “I say what’s right, but they don’t hear me ’cause my past wrongs.”