Vic Mensa Addresses XXXTentacion Diss In New Song 'Empathy'

vic-mensa-empathy

Vic Mensa is letting his music do the talking. 

After coming under fire for his recent BET Hip-Hop Awards cypher, where he called late rapper XXXTentacion an "abuser," the 25-year-old rapper released a song titled "Empathy" as "a response to all the controversy" on Thursday (October 17). "They say you shouldn’t cast stones from a glass home/The whole world want to see me fall but I stand strong," he raps on the track. Vic also acknowledged his history with domestic abuse (In 2016, he rapped about assaulting an ex-girlfriend), rapping, "Got a call from my ex...She forgive but she can’t forget."

In Vic's controversial BET Hip-Hop Awards cypher, he reportedly addressed X, who was gunned down outside a motorsports store in Florida back in June, by name. However, BET censored a line of the cypher, that many assumed was the bar that mentioned X. "Only time you bear arms is in a wife beater, loser/ Your favorite rapper’s a domestic abuser," Vic spit. "[Censored] we all know you won’t live that long/ I don’t respect [censored] posthumously."

Since the award show was pre-taped, news of his lyrics hit the internet last week before the show was aired on Tuesday (October 16). Vic received immediate backlash not only for his choice of words about the late rapper, who was accused of domestic and sexual abuse before his death, but also for his timing as X's mother Cleopatra Bernard was in attendance of the award show. 

After fans blasted him online, the"Reverse" rapper took to social media last week to address the incident, posting a video statement to Instagram. "Recently I did a freestyle for the BET Awards Cypher, addressing and condemning rappers who unabashedly abuse women and those who stand up for them and even call them legends. I stand behind those statements," he explained. "It was prerecorded weeks ago and I had no idea a grieving mother would be in the audience to honor her lost son," he admitted. "I never intended to disrespect her, and I offer my deepest condolences for her loss at the hands of gun violence." 

"However, I vehemently reject the trend in hip-hop of championing abusers, and I will not hold my tongue about it," Vic added. "I don’t give a f**k about getting attention. I care about bringing awareness, and holding people accountable for their actions." 

Photo: Getty Images


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