While down in Austin, Texas for SXSW we caught up with one of the most exciting rising rappers out right now: Mick Jenkins. Things have been on the up and up since he released The Water[s] last summer. The project was met with applause from both critics and fans—it even landed him a phone call from producer Timbaland, who spoke to Mick about his artistry and what he dug the most.
Mick's not hung up on praise though. If he had it his way, more rappers would be making what he calls "cold music." When asked about what pushes him to strive for more and more substance (and thus more lasting power), he explains, "For myself, I can't not. I express myself through this music. I'm receiving all of this acclaim. People are taking notice, people are listening. I have to give them something."
On The Water[s], he raps about a myriad of subject matter, from coming of age narratives to his ambitions to the ills of society. On his upcoming still-unnamed EP, he's leaning toward more upbeat content, inspired by his girlfriend who helped him not feel so "shitty" about the negativity in the world. On that EP, he's working with producers like THEM PEOPLE and Kaytranada, whom he previously collaborated with on "Rain."
Mick's already cooking on his next album, too. Mick describes The Healing Component as an evolution from his previous album: "With the Water[s] I introduced this idea that there is this water, this information out here that can help you. With The Healing Component, I plan to get more specific, and let people know exactly what I'm talking about through different topics and different concepts for each song."
