The Autobiography (Vic Mensa album)

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]

The Autobiography
Studio album by Vic Mensa
Released	July 28, 2017
Genre	Hip hop
Length	60:29
Label	Roc Nation Capitol
Producer	No I.D. (also exec.) Jay-Z (exec.) Vic Mensa (also exec.) Malik Yusef (co-exec.) Mike Dean DJ Dahi The-Dream Om'Mas Keith Marcos "Kosine" Palacios Papi Beatz Smoko Ono Tricky Stewart Pharrell Williams 1500 or Nothin'
Vic Mensa chronology
The Manuscript (2017) The Autobiography (2017) Hooligans (2018)
Singles from The Autobiography
"Wings" Released: July 13, 2017

Background

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

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

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	71/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Clash	7/10[12]
The Guardian	[13]
HotNewHipHop	71%[14]
NME	[15]
Paste	7.5/10[16]
Pitchfork	6.9/10[17]
PopMatters	[18]
Rolling Stone	[19]
XXL	3/5 (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

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

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

Track listing

The Autobiography^[1]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Didn't I (Say I Didn't)"	Victor Mensah Alex Baez Darian Garcia Carter Lang Ernest Wilson Jordan Asher Malik Jones William Pulliam John Tanner Tyron Griffin, Jr.	Smoko Ono Papi Beatz No I.D. Vic Mensa[b] Lang[b]	5:15
2.	"Memories on 47th St."	Mensah Larrance Dopson Wilson Dacoury Natche Jones	1500 or Nothin' No I.D. DJ Dahi	4:02
3.	"Rollin' Like a Stoner"	Mensah Dopson Wilson Mike Dean Marcos "Kosine" Palacios	1500 or Nothin' No I.D. Dean Kosine[b]	3:16
4.	"Homewrecker" (featuring Weezer)	Mensah Wilson Rivers Cuomo	Mensa No I.D.	4:08
5.	"Gorgeous" (featuring Syd)	Mensah Dopson Wilson Jones Sydney Bennett	1500 or Nothin' No I.D.	4:30
6.	"Heaven on Earth" (featuring The-Dream)	Mensah Terius Nash Wilson Garcia Jones Andy Barlow Lou Rhodes	Smoko Ono Papi Beatz No I.D. Mensa	5:17
7.	"Card Cracker" (skit)	Keith Cozart Tyree Pittman Mensah Edward Davis Deon Cole	Mensa	1:10
8.	"Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby)" (featuring Chief Keef and Joey Purp)	Mensah Dean Wilson Jones Saul Williams Cozart Pittman	No I.D. Dean Mensa	4:25
9.	"Coffee & Cigarettes"	Mensah Baez Om'Mas Keith Wilson	Papi Beatz Keith No I.D.	4:30
10.	"Wings" (featuring Pharrell Williams and Saul Williams)	Mensah Jones Pharrell Williams S. Williams	P. Williams	4:03
11.	"Heaven on Earth" (reprise)	Nash Christopher Stewart	The-Dream Tricky Stewart	2:06
12.	"The Fire Next Time"	Mensah Wilson Jones Thomas Lee Barrett	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.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"Rage"	Mensah Dean Keith	Dean Keith[a]	5:19
15.	"OMG" (featuring Pusha T)	Mensah Terrence Thornton P. Williams Jones	P. Williams	3:50
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

• "Didn't I (Say I Didn't)" contains elements from "Didn't I", written by William Pulliam and John Tanner, and performed by Darondo.
• "Homewrecker" contains elements from "The Good Life", written by Rivers Cuomo, and performed by Weezer.
• "Heaven on Earth" contains an interpolation of "Heaven", written by Andy Barlow and Lou Rhodes.
• "Card Cracker" contains elements from "Love Sosa", written by Keith Cozart and Tyree Pittman, and performed by Chief Keef.
• "Down for Some Ignorance (Ghetto Lullaby)" contains elements from "Down for Some Ignorance", written and performed by Saul Williams.
• "The Fire Next Time" contains elements from "Nobody Knows", written and performed by Pastor T.L. Barrett.

Charts

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