The Water[s]*

The last artist I liked as quickly as I did Mick Jenkins was Kendrick Lamar, before him Drake, so take that as you will. I was put on to Mick when Hypetrak posted the video for Jazz; intrigued by the title I gave it a whirl, and I'm so glad I did. 

Every once in a while there's an EP so lyrically adept and thematically fluent that you get mad at yourself for not having heard of the artist sooner (see Section 80) - this is that. Hailing from the Southside of Chicago, this man is aggressive and smooth in a way only a few major cities can offer. The music has jazz influences all throughout, however most of the tracks feature primarily original instrumental content. 

While he could have relied on the production to carry this EP, Mick Jenkins takes no bars off. He eats through the entire tape. Even the calamity of the opening track doesn't stop the rampage. And the best part about it is that every line is pertinent, it's not an hour of flexing, it's not 15 songs of punchlines and ad-libs. It's pure, unadulterated bars.

Let's talk about the theme though. The Water[s] allegorical content is fluid throughout. If not explicitly uttering the phrase "Drink more water", Mick will allude to metaphorical thirst, healing, cleansing, or truth on at least 1 occasion per song. This is a message dear to my heart. Best explained visually in the video mentioned earlier, Water is used in its biblical sense as a commodity more valuable than gold, whose purpose is to purify corruption and reinvigorate the minds, bodies, and souls of those who have been sustained by the polluted drinking source that is modern America. On the first run through the tape it may sound like he's just reusing lines from song to song, but after a few listens you realize that each song is not an independent work, that this tape is truly cohesive in subject matter, and that lines repeated are subjects Mick seeks to highlight.

The only shortcoming of this EP was the last song, which I think was added because he didn't want to cut a friend's feature. However nice of him that may be, it does not fit lyrically, sonically, or morally. I think for as much work as this tape was, he owed it to himself to give a more intentional ending. But don't let that last note deter you. If you like hip hop, listen to this EP.

Rating: 9.5 Stars

Favorite Song: Jazz