There are artists who drop content, and then there are artists who drop statements. Mick Jenkins has always belonged to the latter camp, and his latest visual alongside Chicago producer and creative partner greenSLLIME makes that abundantly clear. Released on February 24, 2026, the music video for Tai Chi arrived with minimal fanfare but maximum impact — racking up nearly 5,000 views within just hours of its premiere. He does not need a rollout campaign. The work speaks.
Directed by himself and shot and edited by Bryan Allen Lamb, Tai Chi is the kind of visual that rewards patience. Every frame feels intentional. The production, handled entirely by BURM, gives Jenkins room to breathe — and that breathing space is exactly where he thrives. The beat is slow-burning, meditative, and deceptively complex, mirroring the ancient martial art the track takes its name from. Jenkins has always been a rapper who operates in metaphor, and Tai Chi leans fully into that identity.
A Jenkins Visual That Moves With Purpose
The choice to have Jenkins direct the video himself is no small thing. It signals a deeper level of creative ownership — one that has defined his recent output. Since making the bold move of releasing music exclusively through the platform EVEN, he has been operating on his own terms, untethered from the traditional streaming machine. Tai Chi continues that energy. The visual does not perform for an algorithm. It performs for the viewer.
Bryan Allen Lamb’s cinematography gives the project a raw, intimate texture. The editing is deliberate — cuts land with the same kind of measured precision that tai chi itself demands. Jenkins appears grounded throughout, his presence carrying the weight of an artist who has nothing left to prove and everything still to say. That tension is where he lives, and it is deeply compelling to watch.
Jenkins and greenSLLIME Share a Rare Chemistry
The pairing of Jenkins and greenSLLIME is not new. Their creative chemistry stretches back years, and that familiarity shows in how naturally Tai Chi unfolds. greenSLLIME, a Chicago native like Jenkins, has long been a fixture in the city’s underground scene — crafting sounds that sit somewhere between brooding and transcendent. On Tai Chi, the producer delivers a beat that feels like controlled chaos, the kind of track that sounds simple on the surface but reveals new layers with each listen.
He rides the production with the ease of someone who has spent years learning how to make difficulty look effortless. His lyricism here is focused and sparse, every word carrying its own mass. There are no throwaway lines. Jenkins is not interested in filler, and greenSLLIME is not interested in excess. Together, they create something that feels both timeless and urgent — a rare combination in a moment when the music landscape rewards noise over nuance.
The Broader Jenkins Universe in 2026
This release arrives at a fascinating moment in the Jenkins catalog. His 2025 album A Murder of Crows, created in collaboration with British producer Emil and released exclusively on EVEN, solidified his reputation as one of the most thoughtful voices in contemporary hip-hop. Tai Chi feels like a natural extension of that project’s ethos — introspective, uncompromising, and deeply intentional.
Jenkins has been vocal about his distrust of traditional streaming structures, and his pivot toward platform exclusivity and self-directed visuals represents a blueprint that more artists may eventually follow. With Tai Chi, Jenkins is not just making music. He is modeling a new kind of artist independence — one where the vision stays intact from conception to final cut.
Why Tai Chi Matters Right Now
In a music climate obsessed with virality and instant gratification, Tai Chi is a quiet rebellion. Jenkins does not chase trends. He sets his own pace, finds his own rhythm, and trusts that the audience will follow. And based on the early response, they are. Nearly 5,000 views within hours of a premiere — with no major label push, no playlist placement, no manufactured hype — suggests that the his faithful remain deeply engaged.
The collaboration with greenSLLIME adds another chapter to one of Chicago’s most creatively fertile artistic partnerships. Both artists operate in a space where craft matters more than clout, and Tai Chi is the latest proof that he and his circle are playing a longer game than most. The visual is not loud. It does not need to be. Like the discipline it references, the power of Jenkins is in the stillness.
