Ahead of the release of Mick Jenkins’ Pieces Of A Man LP, which is due out October 26th, the Chicago rapper has released two new singles ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Padded Locks’, the latter of which features Ghostface Killah. Both tracks are ferocious cuts of chunky beatwork, although it’s the smooth bassline and layered production that draws us to ‘Barcelona’. These grooves are most likely the work of Canadian jazz-funk outfit BADBADNOTGOOD who have been collaborating with Jenkins on the forthcoming record. As we’ve heard many times before, Jenkins’ storytelling is unparalleled and ‘Barcelona’ is yet another lyrically dense reflection of the artist’s mind. The rapper talks of the pressures on being an artist right now, his wish to escape expectation and criticism, and simply getting himself as a person together. - Hannah Thacker (Photo credit: Sam Schmieg)