At an early age, Jenkins’ mother introduced him to contemporary soul greats such as Prince, Erykah Badu, Sade and Jill Scott, thus promoting her son’s musical sensibility. The young artist was charmed by the emotions carried out in this musical genre and later found hip-hop music to be another effective vehicle for these same feelings due its lyrical richness. As he grew older, his passion for music developed into an ever-increasing rap talent. This led him to enter a rap competition called "Who got Bars" during his sophomore year at the University of Oakwood in Huntsville, Alabama. When he was awarded second place, the prospect of a career in hip-hop crossed his mind and the chemistry he had forged with FreeNation throughout the competition inspired him to take his lyrical persuasions seriously.
In the Fall of 2012, Mick returned to Chicago and began attending YCA (Young Chicago Authors) a youth center where his first acapella verse caught the attention of local artist and leader of Chicago’s PIVOT Gang collective, Saba. Shortly after, the two collaborated on “Heaux” for Saba’s 2012 mixtape GETCOMFORTable.
In the spring of 2013 Mick Released a mixtape entitled Trees and Truths. It quickly became a local favorite, buoyed by acid jazz-influenced production, biblical allegory and lacerating lyricism. The project was by far his most lyrical body of work and caught the attention of Chicago’s incipient gatekeepers. A few months after its release, a collaboration with Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa came in the form of a single entitled “Crossroads”, which was a summer hit.
In 2014, Mick received a lot of attention after the release of his single "Martyrs." This song juxtaposes harsh truths about our society with a catchy hook, creating a thought-provoking single with various underlying messages and subtle notions. "Martyrs" has led people such as Timbaland, among others, to reach out and praise Jenkins for his musical talent and intricate lyricism. Mick continued to find creative ways to convey his message and he released his project entitled The Waters, the project received positive reviews.
In 2015, Mick went on tour with Kirk Knight, Noname, and Saba. On August 21, 2015, Jenkins released his 9-track EP Wave which also received positive reception. Mick released his debut album The Healing Component in 2016.
Carefree
Mick Jenkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got nothin' to hide, I'm with the squad, don't make me throw it up
She by my side, we bonafide, that shit is nice
It just don't look like this
If you living carefree then you probably don't look like us
Damn nigga let me cook right quick, on the beach
Couple niggas we was cool and it's just about dusk
On fire, it's music playin', grindin' on me
You know I had to push right back, reflex, respect
No suspect shit, came late
Goofy niggas missed the sunset
We ain't even give a fuck got the backwoods though
Dropped those niggas would've been upset
Only hit it two times 'cause I know that the papers more of her speed she could fuck with
And I like that shit, she don't duck shit but we was cool
And I said we the one smoke some when the cops popped up
It was pop smoke, niggas proceeded to get on that fuck shit
I ain't worried 'bout dyin' for speaking my mind, they keep on callin' it tough shit
I ain't do too much, just rough shit
Whole time that really is way too much shit
Playin' that shit right, it's some tough shit
And they know just which one to fuck with
It's just some shit we stuck with
We was off the drugs, we was off the drinks, we was off the vibes
Got nothin' to hide, I'm with the squad, don't make me throw it up
She by my side, we bonafide, will you ride or die
Damn nigga, let me breathe
Damn nigga, let me cook
Damn family, give me space
So quick to shoot, no Devin Booker
Can't even look me in my face
Can't play it straight, these niggas crooks
They player hate, I'm on my shit
Pulled me over 'bout my whip
Like "How you get it?"
Bitch I bought it, took my ticket for the tints
That might not seem too intense
But I ain't with this in two months
The first day back, they on some shit
I can't let 'em steal my joy
See who my niggas is fuckin' with
Heard the whole squad at the beach
Guessin' we'll pull up and shit
We be off the drugs, we be off the drinks, we be off the vibes
Got nothin' to hide, be with the squad, don't make me throw it up
She by my side, we bonafide, that shit is nice
Damn
We was off the drugs, we was off the drinks, we was off the vibes
Got nothin' to hide, I'm with the squad, don't make me throw it up
She by my side, we bonafide, will you ride or die?
Damn nigga, let me breathe
Damn nigga, let me cook
Damn nigga, give me space
Damn nigga, let me breathe
Damn nigga, let me cook
Damn family, give me space
Quick to shoot, no Devin Booker
Can't even look me in my face
In the song, "Carefree," Mick Jenkins is contrasting his relaxed, carefree lifestyle with the anxieties and pressures of those around him. He opens with lines about being off drugs, drinks, and negative vibes, suggesting he is content with living a simple, present life, accompanied by his close friends and girlfriend. However, despite being happy, he feels out of place, as those who are truly carefree don't generally look like him and his crew. He then recalls an evening on the beach with a girl who he got high with, listened to music and danced with. Despite the carefree fun they were having, the peace is disturbed by the arrival of the police and a group of people who turn out to be troublemakers. Jenkins emphasizes the ease with which his gang was able to reject the negative energy of outsiders, suggesting that, while their harmonious way of living may be strange to others, it works for them.
The vast majority of the song repeated this refrain of living off drugs, drinks, and good vibes, content with what they have and fighting for personal liberties when necessary. The second half of the song reflects Jenkins's reaction to external pressures that block his happiness. The chorus repeats that he's with his squad and his girlfriend, and they're looking out for each other, refusing to succumb to the outside pressures. The final verse talks about Jenkins being pulled over by law enforcement in his car for some minor issue, and, despite his frustration, he refuses to let others take his joy. He also calls out the people who are envious of his lifestyle and urges them not to hate or judge.
Line by Line Meaning
I was off the drugs, I was off the drinks, I was off the vibes
I was sober and free from any negative energy
Got nothin' to hide, I'm with the squad, don't make me throw it up
I have nothing to hide, I'm with my friends, don't make me show off
She by my side, we bonafide, that shit is nice
My girl is by my side, we are a legitimate couple, and it feels great
It just don't look like this
Living carefree doesn't always look like this
If you living carefree then you probably don't look like us
Our carefree lifestyle is unique and not the norm
Damn nigga let me cook right quick, on the beach
Give me a moment to enjoy my time on the beach
Couple niggas we was cool and it's just about dusk
I was hanging out with a few friends as the sun was setting
Shawty never smoked kush like this
My girl hasn't smoked weed like this before
On fire, it's music playin', grindin' on me
The music is playing and my girl is grinding on me
You know I had to push right back, reflex, respect
I push back on her in a playful and respectful way
No suspect shit, came late
Nothing suspicious, we arrived late
Goofy niggas missed the sunset
Our silly friends missed the beautiful sunset
We ain't even give a fuck got the backwoods though
We didn't care and had some weed anyway
Dropped those niggas would've been upset
Our friends who missed the sunset would have been upset if they knew we had weed
Only hit it two times 'cause I know that the papers more of her speed she could fuck with
I only smoked a little bit because my girlfriend prefers smoking papers instead of blunt wraps
And I like that shit, she don't duck shit but we was cool
I like that she is honest and doesn't avoid tough conversations, but we are still in a good place
And I said we the one smoke some when the cops popped up
I claimed responsibility for smoking weed if we got in trouble with the police
It was pop smoke, niggas proceeded to get on that fuck shit
We listened to Pop Smoke's music and our friends started acting silly
I ain't worried 'bout dyin' for speaking my mind, they keep on callin' it tough shit
I'm not afraid of dying for speaking my mind even though others might call it being tough
I ain't do too much, just rough shit
I didn't do anything too crazy, just some rough behavior
Whole time that really is way too much shit
In reality, what we did was too much and not acceptable
Playin' that shit right, it's some tough shit
We are trying to act tough and cool
And they know just which one to fuck with
People know which one of us they can mess with
We was off the drugs, we was off the drinks, we was off the vibes
We were sober and free from negativity
Got nothin' to hide, I'm with the squad, don't make me throw it up
We have nothing to hide and we are a group of friends, don't make us show off
She by my side, we bonafide, that shit is nice
My girlfriend is with me and we are a legitimate couple, which is a good feeling
Damn nigga, let me breathe
Give me some space
Damn nigga, let me cook
Let me enjoy my time
Damn family, give me space
Even my family needs to give me some space
So quick to shoot, no Devin Booker
People are quick to jump to conclusions without hearing me out
Can't even look me in my face
Some people can't even look at me directly
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Jayson Jenkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SophieFergi
So dope
@paulwenzel8914
Underrated is an understatement🙏
@lonesoldier3921
You look like an actress but i can't remember her name
@punksix
fyee
@Cynthia123
@@lonesoldier3921 Billie Lourd?
@djones3456
Need a Mick Jenkins & Isiah Rashad joint project
@junaidshah6122
This is a project I did not know I needed
@brandon_evs
Imagine the Cilvia Rose energy mixing with Mick’s vibe 🔥🔥
@Nuttso88
Mick said a few years ago that when he listened to zay, he wasn't that impressed & didn't see the hype
@chuexiong640
@@Nuttso88 Yeah, fr, but that was a while ago tbh, Mick probably more open minded now tho