At the Jordan-hyped age of 23, MICK JENKINS has already defined himself as an innovative MC from the Midwest because he knows what he wants to say and does so with emphasis. His baritone aside, the Chicago rhymesayer is committed to honesty and originality, much like Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa – two counterparts he’s already shared a track with – and less like the Lil Herbs and Fredo Santanas that still place one hand on the Book of Drill.

It’s evident Jenkins reps a different section of Chi-town’s stylistic uprising, but the credit goes to his upbringing. He was guided through gospel, neo-soul, and the Mr. West era of ’00s hip-hop, and they merged to help him assemble The Water[s] – a mixtape overflowing with unconventional depth and sounds from DJ Dahi, Statik Selektah, and Ongaud (the trio of SolarFive, BES, and JBG). To provide a platform for his story, we caught up with Jenkins on the weekend to air out his background and discuss everything from his love for André 3000 to his growth as a lyricist.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE