Otis Mensah Explained

Otis Mensah is a British alternative hip-hop and spoken word artist. He was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Sheffield.^[1]

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.^[2]

As a hip-hop artist, Mensah has performed at the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival.^[3] His lyrics combine playful imagery and unconventional symbolism, often accompanied by boom bap instrumentals.^{[4] [5]}

In November 2018, Magid Magid, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, appointed Mensah as Poet Laureate of Sheffield.^{[1] [6]} Mensah stated that he wishes to use the position to "break down barriers" and change "elitism attached to poetry."^[2]

Discography

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

Notes and References

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-45719560 "Hip-hop artist Otis Mensah to be Sheffield's first poet laureate"
2. https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/nov/23/sheffields-first-hip-hop-poet-laureate-gone-are-the-days-of-tradition "Sheffield's first hip-hop poet laureate: 'gone are the days of tradition'"
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ec584f/acts/axxz5v "Otis Mensah at Glastonbury 2017"
4. https://www.acm.ac.uk/artist-roster/otis-mensah/ "Otis Mensah"
5. http://noboundsfestival.co.uk/artists/otis-mensah "Otis Mensah"
6. https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/hip-hop-artist-to-become-sheffield-s-first-poet-laureate-1-9376397 "Hip-hop artist to become Sheffield's first poet laureate"