Much has changed for Mick Jenkins over the last six months. Jenkins, the preacher ever cognizant of over-preaching, signed to Cinematic Music Group, shared a stage with Earl Sweatshirt, and earned a half-million views on a music video for the song “Martyrs.” But The Water[s] does exactly what Jenkins said it would. It’s moralistic but avoids a simplistic dualism that separates things into light versus dark. It’s on point with its analysis of the problems permeating our culture but never absolving Jenkins of his own self-doubt. Though sonically accessible through languid beats, concise hooks and Jenkins’ booming baritone, The Water[s] is an incredibly challenging project that requires multiple listens to fully disentangle its ethos. As he raps on “Healer,” which samples Dream Koala’s “We Can’t Be Friends,” the topics range from “her innermost thoughts to all the triflin’ shit on WorldStar,” and the messages on the pluralistic Water[s] can be purposed for everything from the crisis in Ferguson, Missouri and the state of mainstream Hip Hop, to a ride on Chicago’s L train.
Jenkins is aware of how trite taking the pulpit feels and The Water[s] is full of lessons, but its lectures are rare and so is the condescension commonly associated with overt righteousness. The tape’s title track finds Jenkins admonishing those that weigh gold over lives, but it begins with a sober acknowledgement that the bank is declining his card. The two verses on “Vibe” discusses the consequences of a lost perspective, but not without Jenkins admitting that he was too caught up in his career to visit his dying grandmother. On the Statik Selektah-produced “Black Sheep,” he interrupts a celebration of what makes him stand out from the herd to remember when he wished for his friends’ parents instead of his own.
The Water[s] finds Jenkins reaching many boiling points, several of which occur over the fluid and airy strings of “Drink More Water.” Some are delivered with restraint (“irritate the white skin like a blackhead”), others with feverish urgency: “Have everyone panicking / Like when Danica Patrick got good with the handling / Dismantling the plans of the industry management / Nigga might’ve said too much, ain’t we supposed to still be slaves / Nigga might’ve read too much / Saw a rape taking place in my face in the hood / On some Drake shit, nigga might’ve cared too much.” The dour “514” has him toeing the line between indignation and hopelessness, often in the same bars: “Serve and protect, like protect your pockets and servin’ subpoenas / Whole shit a circus and they ain’t even servin’ us peanuts / I learned this back when they was servin’ us free lunch / System ‘bout as foul as a free throw / Tell me what the fuck a nigga know about a free thought / If everything that he thought stem from a remote,” he raps on the track’s first verse.
The project’s zenith comes on “Martyrs,” which flips Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” into a lament on senseless killing. Jenkins hangs himself in the visual, but comes back brazenly snarling with Cinematic labelmate Joey Bada$$ on the finale, “Jerome.” It’s liberating but not exactly celebratory; Jenkins raps chest out and demands to see hands in the air—more threat than formality—while Bada$$’s stellar finish adopts a dingy growl reminiscent of Osirus in ‘95.
That’s not to say that The Water[s] is all hard times. The project is dominated by sumptuous samples and beats that crash and ripple over Jenkins’ low tone. The elusive NoName Gypsy drops a guest verse of charismatic non-sequiturs on the upbeat “Get Comfortable,” and The Mind (of Chicago production team THEMpeople) delivers impassioned, woozy hooks on “Shipwrecked” and “Dehydrated.” “Vibe,” arguably the project’s best song, is as much a mature smoker’s anthem as it is a meditation session. And though his flows come off facetious, the hook on “Martyrs” doubles over tropes we often see in Hip Hop and seeks to expose their shallowness.
The Water[s] is one of the most accomplished releases out of Chicago this year, but it’s not sensitive to time or location. Rather, the 23-year-old Jenkins raps about longstanding issues that are both institutional and individual. He’s keen to point out the bullshit that clouds our day-to-day, but more importantly, he readily admits when the solutions can’t be found.
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
lively
Mixtape of the year
Hot and watery.
Excellent beats and some very powerful raps
Best mixtape this year since black hystori project
very good.
One of the best projects of the year
One of the best mixtapes I’ve ever heard
This tape is probably the best tape I’ve heard all year. Dude is dope and will be something big soon
Hey
Just heard your show on WBEZ. Very deep conceptual projects;
viewpoint is refreshing. Comforting to know someone else thinks
The same way I do. Rock on brother !! Are you in Chi town for your
Upcoming tour? JJ
One of the best projects to come out all year. It is TIMELESS, & there is a GOAT in Mr Jenkins
Amazing, solid concept. Well put together. Best hiphop project so far this yr!
very good project
One of the best mixtapes of the year.
good stuff
I love this. such a different sound.
One of the projects of the year by far
this is hands down one of the best tapes of the year
dope tape
Good shit
Where can I find this album?
iTunes
MICK JENKINS CLASSIC!
Best I heard this year.
didn’t know what to expect, some good music right here
Dopest mixtape in a looong time, no doubt. Bright future ahead of him with such a thought out cohesive project.
Dopest Mixtape in 14 by far.
Gold!
Fire. Jazz, 514, Martyrs… straight fire…
Dope ass chi town artist
Pleasantly surprised by this guy. Thanks for the heads up DX
dope ass mix-tape even doper video with Jazz
An incredibly cohesive project, sonically and lyrically, especially coming from such a young guy. Must listen.
It’s cool 4/5
lyrical with dopeBeats…overall a different type of vibe which is much needed in this carbon copy industry…
Dope, one of the best stuff released this year. Very chill, but not boring for a minute (unlike some other stuff out there).
Nah lol
Ok stuff..
this is a classic
Was very pleasantly surprised by this mixtape… Will def be keeping an eye out for future projects by Mick Jenkins.
I think we got some shills here or something with all these “classic” posts. Get the fuck outta here. Don’t get me wrong, there is one song that is good, The Waters. That’s some high level shit right there. The rest of the songs though don’t compare to that one.
Great
This was a okay mixtape wont agree with some of you calling this a ”Classic” But opinions are opinions and everyone got their own, I will keep an eye out for future projects by Mick Jenkis he got a bright career ahead of him.. 3/5 Stars is what this one deserves
VERY GOOD
i consider this in top5 projects of the year.
not that 2014 was good musically but yeah that a DOPE project
Boring emo-rap