Otis Mensah


Otis Mensah is a British alternative hip-hop and spoken word artist. Mensah was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Sheffield.
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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.
As a hip-hop artist, Mensah has performed at the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival. Their lyrics combine playful imagery and unconventional symbolism, often accompanied by boom bap instrumentals.
In November 2018, Magid Magid, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, appointed Mensah as Poet Laureate of Sheffield. Mensah stated that they wish to use the position to "break down barriers" and change "elitism attached to poetry."
In March 2025, Mensah released their debut studio album titled before the noise my cousin with frequent producer and collaborator, the intern. The album had guest features from rappers Blu, Speech and Lando Chill.

Discography

Singles

  • "Aurora"
  • "Shadows X Void"
  • "Creep & Crawl"
  • "Free the Slaves"
  • "Oh Jane"
  • "Sanctified"
  • "Solitude"
  • "Float"
  • "Breath of Life"
  • "Internet Cafe"
  • "No Record Store Day"
  • "The Thinks"
  • "Troglodyte Jazz"
  • "Like A Dog"
  • "Garden of Eden"
  • "Tumbleweeds"
  • "SWELL"
  • "Black Box"
  • "Aurora Borealis"
  • "Colour of Sunshine"
  • "Tenderness and Cruelty"
  • "before the noise my cousin"
  • "Silverfish"