Otis Mensah is an

alternative hip-hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...

and

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

artist, and former Poet Laureate of

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, UK."Hip-hop artist Otis Mensah to be Sheffield's first poet laureate"
''BBC News'', 2 October 2018

Career

Mensah has described his work as a means of challenging dominant models of masculinity, which he claims suppress the discussion of emotions, with negative consequences for mental health."Sheffield's first hip-hop poet laureate: 'gone are the days of tradition'"
''The Guardian'', 23 November 2018 As a hip-hop artist, Mensah has performed at the BBC Music Introducing Stage at

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

. His lyrics combine playful imagery and unconventional symbolism, often accompanied by

boom bap Boom bap is a subgenre and music production style that was prominent in the East Coast during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The term "boom bap" is an onomatopoeia that represents the sounds used for the ba ...

instrumentals. In November 2018,

Magid Magid Magid Magid (, born 26 June 1989), also known as Magid Mah and Magic Magid, is a Somali-British activist and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield from May 2018 to May 2019. His appointment attracted significant media attention, a ...

, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, appointed Mensah as Poet Laureate of Sheffield."Hip-hop artist to become Sheffield's first poet laureate"
''The Star'', 3 October 2018 Mensah stated that he wishes to use the position to "break down barriers" and change "elitism attached to poetry."

Discography

* ''Days Over Damson'' EP (2015) * ''Blancmange Lounge Sessions'' (2017) * ''Mum's House, Philosopher'' EP (2018)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mensah, Otis English spoken word artists English male rappers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people