Elephant In The Room
The fiercely ambitious Chicago rapper turns in a scattered, familiar collection, ditching the epic scope of his past releases and sticking to what works.
On “Jazz,” a song from Mick Jenkins’ 2014 mixtape The Water[s], the emcee’s poetic prowess is on display for all to see. He has always utilized his voice as his greatest weapon—that devastating baritone—but the way he masterfully contorts it on this particular track is chilling. From illuminating alliteration to his potent use of imagery, “Jazz” is Jenkins at his biggest, his most brazen, his most powerful. Fast forward seven years to his third LP, Elephant in the Room, and the rapper has honed in his larger than life persona for something with more gravity.
The last time we caught up with Mick Jenkins was at the start of 2020 when he took us to 'The Circus'. Although brief, the project was a welcome