Mick Jenkins is a Chicago rapper who has been putting mixtapes out for a goo while, but with his latest release The Water(s), Jenkins proves that he can put out a concept album and keep it interesting throughout. And even though this is the first project I've ever heard from this guy, I have to say I wish I'd heard of him sooner. Mick has a great sense of style, and his flows are smooth when he wants them to be, but can be hard as nails as well (especially on tracks like "Jerome").
The concept of the album is pretty self explanatory, Mick pens a series of tunes that either create the sonic idea of water, or he straight up references water itself. But he goes beyond the mere idea of water as the thing that covers most of the earth (though he does mention that), he actually sees water as a healing substance, both physically and spiritually. The track "Healer" is one of the best representations of what this album shoots for, and it's a pretty solid slow jam as well.
Though I actually think this album goes for a more socially aware angle. Mick makes a lot of references to drinking water, which I can only imagine actually means that he wants people to "drink" from his well of wisdom, or just wisdom in general. A specific line that points to this would be one found on the title track, where in the chorus he mentions water being more important than gold (or riches) while urging other rappers to "save your soul".
Though this may sound a bit preachy, and the whole concept of water does become a little redundant, I personally think Mick balances this out pretty well with a lot of solid bars and some really stand out lines. The production is great too, with everything from trap to boom-bap making an appearance.
Overall, I really enjoyed this LP, it has a lot of great moments, and while I wish it was just a tad bit shorter (cutting tracks like "Who Else" and "Canada Dry") I was really impressed with a vast majority of this LP and am looking forward to whatever Mick has in store for the future.
8.2/10
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