In a powerful clip circulating online, rapper Vic Mensa highlighted the emotional toll of being a musical artist in today's streaming-dominated landscape.
In the video, the Chicago native recounted a moment of emotional collapse in the shower.
"Just broke down … thinking about the weight of being an artist in a time when work is so devalued," said Vic, whose reflection centered on how the streaming era has changed public perception of music's worth.
Vic referenced a comment on producer James Blake's platform Vault, where artists upload unreleased music directly to fans, and recalled someone questioning why they should pay $10 to one artist when they can pay the same for access to a music streaming service.
"At the time, I was like, you know, that's so fried of a mentality, but like today, it kind of hit me like how impacts the mental health of artists people feel like that shit not worth $10," Vic said, appearing to get more worked up. "It's heartbreaking, but it's hilarious at the same time, like not worth 10 bucks."
Beyond the economics, the "U Mad" rapper delved into the emotional strain artists face.
"Artists are already people that are predisposed to suicide," he said, "and to add into that a dimension of economic inequity so profound that even the record labels don't know what to do. They don't even know how to get the money right now."
Vic ended his video with the sharp realization that he's "blessed" to have touched millions of people with his art and has a wonderful life. He also said he knows that artists, big and small, are feeling similarly about the effects of the streaming era.
Vic has been vocal about his own mental health, including in a video he shared in March after attending his second-ever Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. That video garnered over 60,000 likes across his platforms, and its success pushed Vic to launch a series on his platform about mental health.
