ALBUM REVIEW: PIECES OF A MAN- MICK JENKINS

Originally published in November 2018

It's me, back with another album review. This one was a pretty easy selection too.

You see, 2018 has blessed us with so much good music that it seems to just come and go. Some great pieces of work get easily forgotten and I couldn't stand to see 'Pieces of a Man' be one of them.

Sidenote: I haven't gotten any better at this since my last album review  but let's pretend I actually somewhat know what I'm talking about here *does finger guns*

'Pieces of a Man' dropped at the end of October and has pretty much been in rotation in my music library like the Chicago rapper's indoor joints ever since.

Sir Mick Jenkins, king of water, good vibrations and spreading love is back at it again with the tunes smoother than an ice cold sip of pineapple Ciroc.

For and album that's seventeen tracks long, it held my usually horrible attention span quite well actually- something I can applaud him on.

Featuring the likes of Ghostface Killah, Corinne Bailey Rae and usual suspects BADBADNOTGOOD, with Kaytranada production, this album sure is a treat for jazzy lovers and hip-hop enthusiasts alike.

'Pieces of a Man' certainly has more of an introspective theme and addresses the many complexities that make up man which often get overlooked based on sensationalised portrayals.

The title was inspired by Gil Scott-Heron, an American soul and jazz poet's 1971 album also titled 'Pieces of A Man.'

In the music industry, especially for an artist like Mick who has never really been in the public eye, we only get to witness a certain side of him. With this album, he attempts to show more of what constitutes him. I love how the album art conceptualised all the different pieces of him too (but damn I hope the 7 years of bad luck superstition ain't really a thing).

It's hard to call this album one of self-growth, because Mick has proven himself to be quite the wise one throughout pretty much his entire discography. With that being said, an artist does evolve with every piece of work so I'd say it's more a personal account and an album of self-reflection which also includes prevalent themes of relationships, sex, race, religion, the rap game, personal life, societal norms and all those other things that prove Mick to be quite the versatile man.

This album was also heavily inspired by great poets and artists such as previously mentioned Gil Scott-Heron, Gwendolyn Brooks and Julian Bell (hence the tracks appropriately titled 'Gwendolynn's Apprehension', 'Heron Flow' and 'Heron Flow 2'). 

The powerful poetry-style monologue in 'Heron Flow', continuing in 'Heron Flow 2' speaks on experiences from the black community inspired by Scott-Heron's 'The Ghetto Code.' A strong introduction to the album.

The introspective tone really comes through early in songs like 'Stress Fracture' and 'Gwendolynn's Apprehension', which is one of my favourites on the album. The beat pretty much hooked me from the first listen.

Mick explores his decision to keep doing his thing in the rap game where certain things are considered trendy or cool.

He reflects on the life of a "cool rapper" and pretty much accepts how he could never have that lifestyle and is completely okay with it, "you n****s be too cool for me." 

"Real cool with yo cool ass"  has definitely been stuck in my head too.

In this track, Mick also says"Wasn't until a bit later when I started flowering and I needed pollination not your validation", speaking about how his come up had nothing to do with social media or "followers", and all to do with raw talent and hard work. 

'Soft Porn' then comes through with its ironic title seeing that that's exactly what this song is to my ears. Quite the titillating little number and another personal favourite.

'Grace and Mercy' stands out as being one of the 'harder' songs on the album. In this track, Mick expresses his thankfulness to God for his blessings and how it doesn't matter who speaks on his name because he knows his relationship with God is solid. "Have your weapon formed, but that shit can't hurt me", referencing the Bible, Isiah 54:17, "No weapon formed against me shall prosper." Wow, *goes to Sunday school once.*

'Padded Locks', produced by Kaytranada, samples BADBADNOTGOOD's 'Speaking Gently', and is quite a good sample at that. Add 'Plain Clothes ' and 'U Turn' to the list of really smooth and jazzy tracks too. 'Understood' is another Kaytranda produced track, which naturally explains the excellent and cohesive production. 

Besides it being quite an enjoyable track, Ghostface Killah says "Donald Trump is a piece of shit" on 'Padded Locks', which is definitely one of my favourite lines on the whole album. 

'Ghost' is an account of Mick's decision to stay out of the public eye, "I dig my personal space" and wow, we love a King promoting healthy habits. It's essentially about going ghost for your personal peace of mind. Alexa play 'Self-Care' next.

In 'Reginald', Mick explores how his decision to go ghost and stay out of the public eye leaves room for assumptions about him saying, "You basing everything you know about me from moments", again tying in with the 'Pieces of A Man' title and how man is far more complex than a moment.

"I'm more of a compilation of composition, it's complicated"

'Consensual Seduction' is another personal favorite, mostly due to the subject matter and Corine Bailey Rae's silky melodies which makes it even more of a winner. A play on words from Snoop Dog's 'Sensual Seduction', I'm assuming.

It's very rare that a male rapper speaks on consensual sex, something which I can admire, saying how he won't make a move until the other person says it out loud.

"Still I don't make a move 'til shawty endorses that"

In 'Barcelona', Mick also says "I'm no n**** with dreams of busting all over your girl. That's belittling." Apparently the man is just respecting women all over the place, take notes. Okay no but seriously, it's refreshing that so much of his content isn't superficial. 

The album ends off on another BBNG produced track, 'Smoking Song' which has quite an infectious tune that will leave you humming along long after the song ends. A real sitting-in-a-dimly-lit-room-blunt-passing type feel.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this album and I could imagine it playing in the background of many midnight sessions or as the soundtrack to summer drives.

It is quite the easy listen, rather cohesive and slightly cathartic too. Mick's lyricism is still quite impressive. Although 'Pieces of a Man' is not as conceptual as 'The Healing Component' or as refreshing as 'The Waters', I can't say that Mick has dropped the ball with this one.  It's definitely going to continue being on repeat and I look forward to his next project.

'Pieces of a Man' is one of those albums that really feels more like an experience than a listen; a solid 8 out of 10 from me.

GO GIVE IT A LISTEN!