I once pulled up to the UPS Store with my music knocking. There were several guys standing outside talking.
One guy asked, “What’s that you’re playing?”
“The dopest emcee in the biz, Mick Jenkins.”
“Dopest? Alright old school. I never heard of him.”
“He ain’t old school.”
Now, mind you I’m carrying a big box, but I get hit with the, “Who’s the greatest rapper of all time?”
I know this is Memphis, and I assume my taste aren’t exactly aligned with the culture, but I spout off my top 5, “Pharoahe Monch, Mick Jenkins, Nas, DJ Quik and Kendrick.” I put my box on my shoulder, open the door and walk in. I know I’m going to get hit with the “No Biggie or Pac?” when I walk out.
Instead dude asking the questions pulls his phone out and asks, “Who are you listening to again?”
“Mick Jenkins.”
“What song do you recommend?”
“All of em,” I laugh, climb in the car and pull off. It was a good dialogue, but you can’t be too careful in Memphis. I say that to tell you that Mick Jenkins is back with a new project and he’s launching it via a site I’d never heard of.
EVEN: Mick Jenkins – type sh*t
EVEN empowers you to sell your music directly, connect with your fans globally, get paid daily, and take your releases to the next level with unique fan experiences.
As a family, we pay for Amazon Music. I often reflect on browsing the CD racks in college and remember when music wasn’t as easily accessible, and you had to pay for it. I own a music catalog, and my son is in the recording industry, and I realize how streaming has shaped the careers of artists. I also realize there are a ton of artists I would have never known about if it weren’t for streaming.
I’ve participated in Kickstarters for musicians like De La Soul. I always find myself at odds with where and how to show support.
Mick Jenkins doesn’t not cheat the artform. If you haven’t heard of him before, I wanted to shine a spotlight on the new project and tell you he’s in my top 5 of emcees. You should know who he is and if you want, you can pay what you like to support the music.
