“It’s Pieces of a Man, with that man being me. You’ve got segments of who I am, portions of what makes me whole … People forget that what we see of somebody at work is a work persona. What we see of somebody out or somebody in a grocery store are personas — most of the time we’re only getting pieces of people, but we do not refrain from making that be the whole you.”
This is what Chicago MC Mick Jenkins told Dazed Magazine in an interview covering the release of his latest LP “Pieces of a Man.” On the album’s cover, Jenkins stares into the scattered pieces of a broken mirror, his image split and distorted across the ground. “Pieces of Man” wears its purpose openly and proudly, a self-reflective catalog of the pieces that make up one of the most promising minds in hip-hop.
“Pieces of a Man” sees Jenkins returning to many of his familiar artistic standbys with an elevated perspective. In past projects Jenkins has been no stranger to jazzy production elements, turning to smoothly laid out upright bass lines and soft rounded synths, yet never to the degree on “Pieces.” Here Jenkins embraces his jazz influences with incredible intimacy, delving deep into the roots of their sounds to pull out the base emotions behind them.
On “Barcelona,” Jenkins shirks the familiar sounds of metallic hi-hats for skittering maracas and jabbing bongo beats, their raw sounds providing the instrumental with a far more nuanced inflection. Tracks like “Heron Flow” even see Jenkins completely abandon the production studio by placing himself in the midst of a live jazz band open mic performance, complete with thrumming crowd feedback and spacey soul licks.
These moments also display the incredible ability of Jenkins to integrate his slam poetry practices and influences into his musical style. “What we are talking about concerning the man / Is a red-hot case of dot dot dit dit dot dot dash / The remorse code, the damned if I know,” Jenkins spits, creating a groove of his own as he prepares for a self-trial set against the backdrop of the black experience in America.
“Smoking Song” further advances the live band concept in a far more intimate setting as Jenkins collaborates with jazz-funk group BADBADNOTGOOD to build an all-enveloping room of sound. A tip-toeing bass loop and pattering bongs provide the track structure and draw the listener in as a smooth clarinet teases along in the background. In the center of it all rests Jenkins vocal performance, a taunting boast filled love letter to his favorite of vices, rounding out an atmosphere of alluring mystery and haziness.
Though much of “Pieces of a Man” finds its identity in a smooth jazz aesthetic, that’s not at all to suggest it’s lacking in fervent energy. “Padded Locks” sees Jenkins link up with Ghostface Killah for a bold and in your face boom bap style performance on top of a Kaytranada produced synth-heavy beat. Similarly, “Grace and Mercy” sees Jenkins embrace a media perception of his Chicago upbringing with a boast filled verse spit through gritted teeth on a lo-fi trap beat marked by a blown-out bassline and glitchy hi-hat arrangement.
The sophomore album is a project of great significance for any up-and-coming musician. The momentum of breakout success gone, he or she no longer has the element of surprise, facing an audience with expectations of something greater than anything the first effort. Its release is a moment that will shape its creator's reputation and career path for years to come. In the face of this pressure, “Pieces of a Man” stands as an all the more powerful testament to the incredible talent that Mick Jenkins is bringing to the forefront of hip-hop today.
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