Sled Island and Exclaim! present: Mick Jenkins, Mouraine and Sargeant x Comrade

Mick Jenkins

Before releasing his breakout mixtape Trees & Truths in 2013, peerless rapper Mick Jenkins worked in fashion, poetry and the justice system. Raised on neo-soul and contemporary Black gospel, Jenkins has steadily built his one-of-one place in hip-hop — and music in general — over the course of increasingly excellent releases. 

Last year’s album The Patience (an Exclaim! Staff pick for 2023) might be his crown jewel. Anchored by slick, live instrumentalism and an eclectic approach to drum programming, the record seamlessly flows through laid-back vibes that let Jenkins create his best verses to date. Peppered with culinary wordplay and symbiotic guest verses from Freddie Gibbs, J.I.D and Vic Mensa, it’s a lush and lean work where most tracks are shorter than two-and-half minutes.

Speaking of Vic Mensa, both he and fellow Chicagoan Chance the Rapper have been supporters of Jenkins since his earliest days. The three combined their distinct identities on the standout single “Crossroads” back in 2013. A few other non-Patience tracks to start out with are “Jazz” (from The Water(s) mixtape and which has 80+ million streams on Spotify), “Carefree” (from 2020 album The Circus) and two tracks featuring serpentwithfeet (“Scottie Pippen” and ”Rug” from 2021 record Elephant in the Room.)

Get a teaser of the elegant power Jenkins brings to the stage by watching his Tiny Desk (Home) Concert for NPR, shot back in 2021. Remember, this is just a preview — Jenkins is an artist who refuses to not keep getting better, and we’re sure to see that for ourselves when he makes his Sled Island debut, performing with a full band at The Palace Theatre. 


Mouraine

R&B storyteller Mouraine has steadily grown his audience through his nuanced brand of hip-hop that breaks through the noise and blasts out stereo speakers. Distilling a lifetime of stories and lessons into his debut album In Search of Gold, Mouraine speaks openly about dreams and struggles in a manner that is immediately relatable, inspiring and worthy of hype.


Sargeant x Comrade

Yolanda Sargeant's captivating vocals blend with Comrade's multi-layered production to take listeners on a thrilling journey of lo-fi soul that lives in the dancehall, pushing beyond hip-hop into a genre all its own. With high-profile collaborations and multiple awards, Sargeant X Comrade continues to carve out a place of delight in the minds and hearts of listeners.

About Sled Island:

Sled Island is an annual five-day independent music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta that brings together a community of music, comedy, film and art with over 30,000 attendees in multiple venues across the city. For more information, visit SledIsland.com.

Upon entering a festival venue, the passholder agrees to being photographed, filmed or recorded in that venue, and agrees to the publication, reproduction, distribution and broadcast of all photographs, video or other recordings of the passholder's voice or likeness without further notice or compensation in any publicity, advertisement or other publication carried-out by, or on behalf of, Sled Island and in perpetuity in any manner and media whatsoever, including print, broadcast or internet.

Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees must abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy and agree to the code of conduct, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.

Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney First Nations. Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).