Analyzing: Mick Jenkins - Vibe
Intro:
Mick Jenkins is honestly one of my favorite rappers out right now. Since dropping his 2014 breakout mixtape, The Water(s), he’s been consistently dropping great projects. However, I was listening to the song “Vibe” the other day and thought of an alternative meaning to it. So, I’d like to share my analysis of one of my favorite songs of all time.
Main Interpretation:
The overarching idea of the song is it being very “woke” while disguised as a love song. It immediately starts with him inviting the woman of his interest to a smoke session. The opening lines are:
“Just vibe with a n****, one time hit this joint
Get high with a n**** one time, I won't have you on yo' ass
We can talk about some real shit, tell me how you feel”
At the end, he mentions talking about some “real shit” which implies that they won’t just be goofing around. He’d much rather have deep conversations of substance ranging from topics like: the world, corrupt system, different perspectives, etc. Since being inviting and non-condescending, this approach of exploring each others minds (instead of boring small talk) may in fact be his way of attracting this woman through mental stimulation.
The production on this track perfectly matches its theme and aesthetic. The sample is from The Sweetest Pain by Dexter Wansel and brings a magical, chill and romantic vibe which is perfect for this type of “smoke session”. The drums are groovy & feel very authentic; almost like a Tribe Called Quest song.
Alt. Interpretation:
An underlying theme that I thought of is the woman representing new fans/listeners. He’s inviting this new audience to “get high” with him sonically through making great songs that are “vibes” (like this one lol). There are many great lyricists with great messages, but can’t put together songs that are enjoyable to listen to.
I could see many loving this song just off the vibe without paying attention to his verses. However, when you do pay attention it’s filled with all the themes, messages & knowledge found on the rest of the mixtape. This songs has also aged extremely well because this style of song making has stayed one of his main appeals to his music (in my opinion).
Overall:
As mentioned in the introduction, Vibe genuinely is one of my favorite songs. It never gets old for me and I see why it was Mick’s favorite from The Water(s). These are just my interpretations but there is now definite one unless Mick has said anything himself. I also recommend the rest of his music as well if you’re not familiar with him. Thank you all for reading, enjoy the the song with the link below.
