Vic Mensa peels back the cost of speaking up on social media and his popular ‘Orange Tree’ video series

Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you picture an orange tree? If the response is “Vic Mensa’s backyard,” congratulations, you’re likely unusually attuned to social justice and an Internet savant to boot. For the uninitiated, Vic Mensa is a rapper-turned-activist known lately for his stream of consciousness video monologues dubbed the “Orange Tree” series. The videos muse over modern historical political issues plaguing the American public as well as his personal life, delivered such that viewers feel as though Mensa is speaking directly to them. While earnest and measured, he does not shy away from sharing personal opinions and refuses to self-censor, all the while peeling an orange plucked from his backyard orange tree. Video topics run the gamut—the ramifications of slavery, Palestine, fatherhood, the World Cup—and have racked up millions of views. They’ve also cost Mensa opportunities, he says, because of “speaking his mind and talking to people in a genuine way.” After winning the attention of social media, Mensa went on to win a Webby Award, under the People’s Voice category To understand why Mensa’s videos gained significant traction at a time when the in…