Otis Mensah is a young rap-poet embodying a contemporary take on alternative hip-hop music and spoken word poetry. With endeavours to shed light on existential commonalities through vulnerable expression, Otis’ work reads like a stream of consciousness, documenting journeys of thought. Drawing from influences such as Common, Aesop Rock and The Roots, Otis delivers off-kilter lyrics with a sentimental vibe.

Describing Otis as “dynamic, skilful and radical”, former Lord Mayor and current MEP Magid Magid appointed Otis Mensah as the first Poet Laureate of Sheffield. As Poet Laureate, his role is to break down preconceived ideas about what it means to be a poet.