Mick Jenkins is a hip-hop recording artist from Huntsville, Alabama, who is raised on the south side of Chicago. He is also known by his stage name, Mick Jenkins, and is a member of Free Nation, a hip-hop group focused on creative thought and resistance to narrow ideas and the status quo.

Background

Jayson Jenkins is born in 1991. In his youth, his mother introduces him to contemporary soul artists including Prince, Erykah Badu, Sade and Jill Scott, which shapes his musical sensibility. He is drawn to the emotional qualities of that music and later sees hip-hop as another form that can carry similar feeling through lyricism.

While studying at the University of Oakwood in Huntsville, Alabama, he enters the rap competition “Who got Bars” during his sophomore year and takes second place. That experience, along with his work with Free Nation during the competition, pushes him to treat rap as a serious career path.

Chicago beginnings

He returns to Chicago in late 2012 and begins attending Young Chicago Authors, a youth centre. His first a cappella verse there attracts the attention of Saba, the Chicago rapper and leader of PIVOT Gang. The two then collaborate on “Heaux” for Saba’s 2012 mixtape GETCOMFORTable.

Releases and recognition

In 2013, Jenkins releases the mixtape Trees and Truths. The project gains local attention for its acid jazz-influenced production, biblical allegory and sharp lyricism, and it establishes him as a notable writer within Chicago’s rap scene.

A few months later, he appears with Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa on the single “Crossroads”, which becomes a summer hit. In 2014, his single “Martyrs” draws wider attention and brings praise from figures including Timbaland for its lyricism and social commentary.

He follows with The Waters, which receives positive reviews, and in 2015 he tours with Kirk Knight, Noname and Saba. That same year he releases the 9-track EP Wave, which also receives a positive response. His debut album, The Healing Component, is released in 2016.

Style

Jenkins’ work is described through its emphasis on lyrical detail, social observation and spiritual or biblical imagery. His music develops from an interest in soul and hip-hop as expressive forms, and his releases place him within Chicago underground rap and broader hip-hop circles.