Rapper Vic Mensa, who performed at the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday and subsequently called for an AR-15 rifle ban, pled guilty to a gun crime last year.
In March of 2017, Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, was arrested during a routine traffic stop in California for having a concealed a weapon in his car without a permit, according to TMZ.
At the time of the arrest, Mensa said he had a concealed carry permit for the weapon; however, the permit was from a state that California does not recognize. Mensa pleaded no contest to one charge of a carrying a concealed firearm in his car and in July, was sentenced to two years probation. The second charge of carrying an unregistered loaded firearm was dropped.
On Saturday, shortly after performing at the march, Mensa tweeted his support for banning the AR-15 rifle. He also dedicated his performance at the rally to the "unarmed black men and women killed by police weapons."
Ban the AR-15 #MARCHFOROURLIVES pic.twitter.com/wuFdLuUpvL
— vino valentino (@VicMensa) March 24, 2018
In the past, Mensa has been a vocal advocate for addressing social inequalities. Earlier this month, the rapper launched a nonprofit in his hometown of Chicago to help "train first responders in Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods" and remove barriers to education.