Top 10 Mick Jenkins Songs (+Playlist)
Intro:
Last decade gave us the talented rapper Mick Jenkins. After delivering his breakout 2014 project, The Water (s), he continued to deliver consecutively with every new release. Completing this list was not an easy task, as Mick’s easily become one of my favorite rappers. With that being said, here’s my top 10 favorite songs of his. *Please note that this ranking will not include unreleased/Soundcloud songs*
10. Love, Robert Horry
The Healing Component is an album of Mick’s that never really garnered the love & respect it deserved. With that said, this is the only track from the album featured on the list. Mick spits one of his best verses alongside fellow “Free Nation” member JSTOCK. Both of them bring a brash and urgent presence over the dusty sample-based instrumental’s reversing & warps sounds/drums. It’s a clear standout from the other amazing songs in its tracklist.
9. P’s & Q’s
P’s & Q’s is one of many fans’ favorite Mick Jenkins songs. The most notable aspect of the song is the way Mick strings together bold verses, and nearly uses only words that start with the letters “P” & “Q”. The music video linked below adds another experience that visually compliments the song. Guitar lines roar throughout the hard sample dreams, as Mick delivers rapid fire flows in the perfect pockets. Overall, it’s another one where he’s in his peak lyrical form.
8. What Am I To Do
If there’s one song I would’ve loved to see on an album/mixtape, it’s What Am I To Do. Many heard this track for the first time in his COLORS SHOW performance (linked below). Here, Mick casually raps over a beautiful & groovy sample loop. He’s always been great at lacing in pro-black & socially conscious subject matter into his writing. This is still true with What Am I To Do as he asks a very real & relevant question about race relations.
7. Drink More
The instrumental alone is mystical & enchanting enough to listen to itself. Each of the smaller percussion sounds add so much detail & groove to every other part of beat. Both Mick & EBONY lay down a beautiful chorus that plays on the concept of The Water (s) project. Mick himself is getting very conscious & braggadocios on each verse. It’s a great recipe for a top tier Jenkins song.
6. Comfortable
There has been quite a few times I’ve actually heard an artist rap over this instrumental. The most notable is Too High To Riot by Bas. Comfortable is by far my favorite of them all. Mick & Noname go bar for bar over the laidback & bouncy sample drums. Both artists stay true to themselves, while still reassuring listeners that “the water” is very welcoming & comforting. It’s a go to song for any smoke session or sunny day drive.
5. Martyrs
Back in 2014, this was the track that made me fall in love with Mick Jenkins’ music. The sample chop & bass drum pattern is very menacing. It’s one of the harder hitting songs on The Water (s), and features some of the best Mick lines. There aren’t too many songs on the tape that could be argued as better than Martyrs. I especially appreciate the hilarious Chief Keef reference/wordplay in some of the opening lines:
“What? You ain't never seen a nigga on a horse?/
You ain't seen Chief Keef's new Porsche?”
4. Gwendolynn’s Apprehension
*SPOILER* This is the only track from his last full-length album Pieces Of A Man on this list. It’s another great album of his, but this song was the true standout for me. The chorus is a rendition of Gwendolyn Brooks’ 1959 poem: We Real Cool. Mick truly shines best over some groovy chill hop instrumentals, and this beat is no exception. The glittery melody gives me a retro-Nintendo music aesthetic.
3. Guilty Automatic
This is actually a song off of Mulatto Beats’ album .22 Summers. It’s not only my favorite songs from that project, but probably one of my favorites from 2017. Mick Jenkins completely floats over this somber trap beat with a booming 808. The chorus touches on how black people are automatically assumed guilty regardless of where, when, why, etc. Even in 2021, I still believe this song was ahead of its time as far as political climate in the modern world.
2. Carefree
While still being a successful song for Mick, I believe this song flew criminally under the radar last year. It’s another laidback sample beat, but the drums hit very hard & punchy. The chorus Mick sings is both mesmerizing & addicting. Carefree is the perfect example of how Mick mastered the art of making socially conscious subjects & lyrical dexterity sound catchy. This was easily my favorite song from last year hands down.
1. Vibe
One song I will never grow tired of is Vibe. It’s a track that fits many different moods, settings, etc. This can be a go to song at any time; whether your studying, with your significant other or even hotboxing your car. For that reason (among others), it’s truly a solid choice as an introductory song for a new fan. Mick delivers a 10/10 job, the instrumental is perfect, and the over-arching concept is very fitting; which I detail in this article. It’s without a doubt one of my favorite songs in my library.
Overall:
There are a lot of songs that could have and almost made it onto my personal Top 10. When you have an artist as consistent as Mick Jenkins, it makes a task like this more difficult than one would expect. If you’re not already a fan, checkout any of these songs & join us on the wave. Thank you all for reading, and hopefully you’ve found some new Mick songs for your library. Visit the button below for a playlist of this entire Mick Jenkins Top 10 List.
