Ask the legends about the road to greatness and they will speak loudly of trials and tribulations they endured. Their love for their respective arts not only inspired them to rise above their circumstances, it saved them. Recognized as one of hip-hopﾒs brightest rising stars, Mense has triumphed over more than most.
The Brooklyn based emceeﾒs story begins on the other side of the Hudson River in northern New Jersey. Forced to leave school in the 7th grade after an altercation, Mense decided to focus on music, often spending hours recording with his childhood friend, DJ T-Bone. Overwhelmed by the positive feedback from their live mixtapes, the duo decided it was time record a professional demo. However, there was one obstacle; both lacked the funds for studio time. Frustrated, Mense would eventually find himself on the wrong side of the tracks trying to gather funds for his music career by any means necessary. It was during this time he befriended a rapperblood general from Harlem who had moved to Spring Valley, named Jo-Grams.
After hearing Jo-Grams freestyle in a parking lot, T-Bone called up Mense. And follwing an hour of rapping back and forth, Mense and Jo-Grams formed a bond that would last over the next several months. Dubbing themselves ﾓPiranhas,ﾔ they quickly established themselves as one of the areaﾒs top crews. He and Jo-Grams develped a well known and well respected reputation of power on and off the mic. It would take a tragedy to remove Mense from the streets and put him back on the right road.
Mense left the BK to attend school in Boston. After only a few months in Boston, he dropped out of school and returned back home to pursue his rap career. Within a week, a friend set up a meeting between Mense and Mel who manages DJ Envy. It would result in Menseﾒs debut on- DJ Envy Presents: Please Listen to My Demo Volume 1. Praised for his track (# 3), He would be called upon to contribute to other major mixtapes including those by DJ Vlad, DJ Gspot and Sickamore.
Though the journey was a long one, itﾒs no surprise that Mense has risen to the forefront of the rap game. His life has given him constant material to write about, while his mental stamina and wit keep the fans asking for more. Continuing to crush the mixtape scene with freestyles and songs, he is now recording his official album while negotiating with major recording labels. Currently, he is preparing for the release of his mixtape, “The Transporter”, hosted by DJ Whoo Kid, as well as the release of the music video for the street single, “Lonely Streets”. His life is best summed up with a quote he often refers to when asked about his journey, ﾓThe Road Was Rough, But I Decided to Ride Itﾔ.
Here’s audio from his Transporter Mixtape with Whoo Kid.
