Mick Jenkins is a Chicago rapper with a knack for combining socially conscious wordplay with raw tales of life in the streets. ∙ Following a series of early mixtapes, he teamed up with fellow Chicago MCs Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa on the 2013 single “Cross Roads.” ∙ Jenkins broke through nationally with 2014’s The Water (S), which featured guest spots from rappers Joey Bada$$ and Noname. ∙ In 2015, his debut EP, Wave[S], reached No. 9 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart. ∙ He cracked the Billboard 200 for the first time with his 2016 debut LP, The Healing Component, which included production from BADBADNOTGOOD and KAYTRANADA. ∙ Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah appeared on “Padded Locks,” from Jenkins’ 2018 Pieces of a Man LP—that was itself a tribute to Gil Scott-Heron’s 1971 album of the same name.