Otis Mensah
Otis Mensah | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sheffield, England |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop ∙ Spoken word ∙ Jazz |
| Occupations | Rapper, poet, spoken word artist |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Label | Independent |
| Website | www |
Otis Mensah is a British alternative hip-hop and spoken word artist. Mensah was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Sheffield.[1]
Career
Mensah has described their work as a means of challenging dominant models of masculinity, which they claim 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] Their 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 they wish to use the position to "break down barriers" and change "elitism attached to poetry."[2]
In March 2025, Mensah released their debut studio album titled before the noise my cousin[7] with frequent producer and collaborator, the intern. The album had guest features from rappers Blu, Speech (of Arrested Development) and Lando Chill.
Discography
Studio Albums
| Title | Release details |
|---|---|
| before the noise my cousin |
• Released: March 14, 2025 |
Extended Plays
| Title | Release details |
|---|---|
| Blancmange Lounge Sessions |
• Released: 15 December 2017 |
| Mum's House Philosopher |
• Released: November 16, 2018 |
| Rap Poetics |
• Released: October 25, 2019 |
| things I should have said a year ago |
• Released: May 3, 2022 |
| WINTERSKIN |
• Released: October 5, 2023 |
Mixtapes
| Title | Release details |
|---|---|
| Days Over Damson |
• Released: February 5, 2016 |
Singles
- "Aurora" (2017)
- "Shadows X Void" (2017)
- "Creep & Crawl" (2017)
- "Free the Slaves" (2017)
- "Oh Jane" (2018)
- "Sanctified" (2018)
- "Solitude" (2018)
- "Float" (2018) (with Isaac Hopes)
- "Breath of Life" (2020) (with Hemlock Ernst)
- "Internet Cafe" (2020)
- "No Record Store Day" (2020)
- "The Thinks" (2020)
- "Troglodyte Jazz" (2021)
- "Like A Dog" (2021)
- "Garden of Eden" (2021)
- "Tumbleweeds" (2021)
- "SWELL" (2021)
- "Black Box" (2022)
- "Aurora Borealis" (2022)
- "Colour of Sunshine" (2024)
- "Tenderness and Cruelty" (2024) (with Seigfried Komidashi)
- "before the noise my cousin" (2025) (with the intern)
- "Silverfish" (2025) (with the intern)
Bibliography
In 2020, Mensah published their debut poetry collection Safe Metamorphosis through Prototype Publishing.[8]
A revised second edition was released in 2023.
| Title | Publication details |
|---|---|
| Safe Metamorphosis (1st edition) |
• Published: 15 June 2020 |
| Safe Metamorphosis (2nd revised edition) |
• Published: 2023 |
References
- ^ a b "Hip-hop artist Otis Mensah to be Sheffield's first poet laureate", BBC News, 2 October 2018
- ^ a b "Sheffield's first hip-hop poet laureate: 'gone are the days of tradition'", The Guardian, 23 November 2018
- ^ "Otis Mensah at Glastonbury 2017", BBC Music Introducing, 23 June 2017
- ^ "Otis Mensah", The Academy of Contemporary Music
- ^ "Otis Mensah", No Bounds Festival
- ^ "Hip-hop artist to become Sheffield's first poet laureate", The Star, 3 October 2018
- ^ "Reflections on Wax | Femdelic, Otis Mensah & The Intern", Refuge Worldwide, 14 March 2025
- ^ Prototype Publishing – Safe Metamorphosis, Prototype Publishing UK