Thank God for The Waters.
There are few writers in hip-hop as eloquent as Mick Jenkins. Those who abide by the art lyricism are likely well-aware Mick’s pen game, unique in its poetical nature, at once geek-friendly, introspective, and brutally honest. Last year, he declared that nobody could come for him except Kendrick with a convincing degree authenticity. Though perhaps a little too obscure within the greater mainstream zeitgeist, Mick remains exactly the sort artist that could one day enter a Pulitzer conversation, should he continue to push himself to daring creative heights.
For many, their introduction to Mick Jenkins arrived alongside The Waters, which celebrates its fifth birthday on this very day. Though Mick had been steadily gaining traction f the strength his Trees & Truths tape, The Waters made for his introduction into the mainstream eye. With production from a trusted collective THEMPEOPLE, High Klassified, Statik Selektah, OnGuad, DJ Dahi, Kirk Knight, and Dream Koala, The Waters featured an appropriately lush soundscape, moving from hard-hitting to romantic to introspective at a moment’s notice. And while the instrumentation helped bring the album’s character to life, Mick’s pen deserves no shortage credit in that department.
Songs like “Jazz,” the 5 Pound Media-shot “Martyrs,” “514,” the Joey Bada$$-assisted “Jerome,” “Black Sheep,” and the genuinely sweet “Healer,” Mick carries himself with the gravitas a leading man. From punchlines to immersive reflections self, Jenkins can and does deliver both sides his persona with conviction. In truth, The Water(s) has aged incredibly well, sounding crisp and lyrically dense in the best possible way. If you have yet to check out one this decade’s essential mixtapes, in Mick’s own words, “don’t lack.”