Mick Jenkins rise to the top has been fun to watch, and as his journey to industry domination continues, it’s nice to see publications like the Chicago Reader show love to the rising rapper. Well, this week, Mick covers the Reader’s B-Side, and Reader writer Leor Galil did an amazing piece on Mick, chronicling his career, his life and his purpose. Seriously, you should read this. It’s easily the most complete story on Mick and his music I’ve ever read.
He also gives us some insight into his new album, Wave[s], which should be out later this year. Check out an excerpt:
By the time “11” came out, though, Jenkins was ready to shift gears for his next release. “I have to live with this shit and listen to it,” he says. “I listen to my music more than anybody else—I play my songs back all the time. Playing back ’11’ and really evaluating it, it was just like, ‘I’m not about to do this 12 more times.’ I couldn’t keep writing about shit like that. It takes a toll.”
Jenkins’s new ten-track EP, Wave[s], is due to drop any day now, and it’s much lighter material. “It’s bouncy,” he says. “Very singable choruses—it’s more fun.” He compares it to “Comfortable,” a breezy Noname Gypsy collaboration on The Water[s] with birdsong wafting in and out of it. “I wanted to take a break,” he says. “The EP was kind of like a break—a time to recoup.”