Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper put on for the culture when they hosted and performed at the inaugural Black Star Line Summit in partnership with REVOLT in Ghana over the weekend. Mensa’s father is a native of the African country, which, in part, explains his interest in bridging the diaspora with hip hop’s global community.
“I had a dream about connecting the African people of the globe, to unify us as one people,” he told the crowd on Friday (Jan. 6), according to the BBC. A reported 50,000 people flocked to the Black Star Square of Independence in the nation’s capital, Accra. The landmark is a symbol of Ghana’s fight to gain independence from British colonial rule which they achieved in 1957.
The Roc Nation artist spoke with TMZ days ahead of the event. He said the festival is part of an initiative to bring clean water to multiple villages. “We’re building three boreholes in different communities in Ghana to provide clean drinking water; the first being the Asokore Zongo in Koforidua where my family lives, which is already built,” the “U MAD” rapper told the outlet.
Other entertainers who hit the stage on Jan. 6 include T-Pain, Erykah Badu, Tobe Nwigwe, Jeremih and popular Ghanaian artists such as Sarkodie and Kwesi Arthur. Michael Blackson, who hails from Ghana, was also on hand for the event. His visit marked an enormous accomplishment for the comedian. The Coming 2 America actor shared on social media that he opened a free school in the village he grew up in.
In an Instagram post celebrating the feat, he wrote, “I want our children to be able to dream big just like I did. School taught me discipline and built me a path to dream big. Thank you, America, for giving me the opportunity to create this platform and providing me with the ability to strengthen my talents and to make such an impact that I am making today in order to bless my village with a free education.” A video clip showing Blackson gazing at the school was set to Sarkodie’s popular record “Lucky.”
In a separate tweet, the stand-up comic said Jan. 4 marked the best day of his life. “I’ve finally accomplished what I always wanted to do, which is giving these kids a chance to be great. Greatness starts with education and foundational education shouldn’t come with financial barriers,” he wrote.
