Vic Mensa shows his support for Kehlani after her recent shows were canceled.
The rapper went on Instagram to praise Kehlani for speaking out in support of Palestine, which caused two of her shows to be canceled. “Few artists, and even fewer at your level of success, have chosen to center humanity and courage as boldly and uncompromisingly as you have, let alone at the peak of their popularity,” Mensa wrote in an open letter to Kehlani. “Although newer to religion, I have a deep-seated belief that god, or the universe, or however you categorize the all-powerful presence of the divine, is taking note of every selfless action, of every sacrifice, of every time we jeopardize] our security to do what’s right. I toe the line with you.”
He went on to say that there have been instances where he stayed quiet because he was worried about his actions impacting his family. Mensa and his partner welcomed their son in February.
“I’ve been awe-inspired by the way you’ve stood up,” he wrote. “Especially at a time when I fell back. and I asked myself, ‘although I need to feed my son, what kind of man do I want to inspire him to be?’”
We reported that Kehlani was set to perform at Cornell University’s annual Slope Day concert until the president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, canceled the performance, saying that her performance may have “injected division and discord.”
Her performance at the SummerStage Concert was also canceled by Mayor Adams due to safety concerns over her pro-Palestinian views. Kehlani released a statement amid the cancellation and said, “I’m not antisemitic or anti-Jew,” the singer said. “I’m anti-genocide, anti-actions of the Israeli government, anti-extermination of entire people, anti-bombing of innocent children, men, and women. That’s what I’m anti.”