Mick Jenkins finds himself in an interesting spot, in the context of the Chicago hip-hop scene. Jenkins, who hails from the city's South side, has found success through his collaborations with the North side-based collectives of SAVEMONEY and The Village. Although the drill sound has come to embody that of the South side, Jenkins' form of hip-hop is akin to that of the sound of the North side with transients of the South side's drill/trap sound. It's this unique musical approach that allows Jenkins to differentiate himself from both the North side hip-hop scene and that of the broader Chicago music scene in general. Jenkins' most recent release "Who Else" exemplifies just this aforementioned approach.
Jenkins' evocative lyrics come across sharply over a woozy production with traces of drill elements done by TJ Osinulu, with memorable wordplay like "I know you saw signs/Black Mel Gibson with the passion" and "So much weeping you'll be giving birth to willows in this shark tale". Jenkins continues to demand the listener's attention on the hook as he asks, "Tell me who else do you know/Know you ain't heard it like this in a long time" with his confidence exuding with each word he raps. Its this confidence in his distinct musical style that allows Jenkins to capitalize on the music community’s trend to be attracted to something both talented, new, and unlike anything they’ve “heard… in a long time”.
Make sure Mick Jenkins stays on your radar because his mix-tape The Water[s] is due out June 24th and is destined to make some noise. Stream and download “Who Else” below and be sure to follow Jenkins on Soundcloud.
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Mick Jenkins
Who Else
- Self-Released
- 2014-05-06