Tag: JPEGMAFIA

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: JPEGMAFIA – LP!

LP! is JPEGMAFIA’s most unique collection of tracks

JPEGMAFIA is back with his second release in 2021 with LP!, following up the release of EP2!, a tight seven-track EP that dropped in February. When I think of unique artists in hip hop, artists that push boundaries and explore sounds that go beyond the imaginable, JPEGMAFIA is one of the first names that comes to mind. One of the most intricate figures in the game, he is a true pioneer in the new experimental hip hop universe.

LP! is not as abrasive and rough as Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs are, but it’s definitely more experimental in the sense that he’s trying so many new things on this record.

LP! is filled with unexpected production choices, but it’s to the record’s benefit. You never know what’s coming next and that is what makes it such a special listening experience. One example of this is the heavy metal type beat with tons of echo in his voice like on “END CREDITS!” More surprisingly is the homage to Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” that sees him crooning parts of the chorus with his voice being submerged in autotune on “THOT’S PRAYER!” you never know what direction he’s going in, which makes every track its own unpredictable journey.

The mixing of vocals on LP! is one of the most impressive parts of this album. An average listener may not catch it at a first listen, but it becomes evident when paying close attention. JPEGMAFIA’s voice is constantly changing throughout the album. Sometimes he screams and sounds as aggressive as ever, other times he will simply rap with an inexplicable quirky effect on his voice like on songs like “ARE YOU HAPPY?,” or on moments of “THE GHOST OF RANKING DREAD.” He will always manage to make it sound appealing and interesting.

While not super focused in terms of themes and lyricism, LP! contains a handful of clever one-liners. Bars like “And we got straps as big as Dugg in my apartment,” referring to the 5”1 rapper 42 Dugg on “SICK, NERVOUS & BROKE!” or “I might just ghostwrite a hit” on “NEMO!” are both showcasing JPEGMAFIA’s witty sense of humour.

The track sequencing on this album is also off the charts, with most of the songs having a bit of a random beat switch. Yet JPEGMAFIA always finds a way for it to make sense, something mostly attributed to his attention to every little detail and irreproachable work ethic. Despite the tracks sounding different from one another, they all flow pretty well together.

LP! is a mind-boggling, all over the place experience, but it’s the work of a true genius and no other human being could have done this album. JPEGMAFIA once again proves that he truly cannot miss.

 

Trial Track : “SICK, NERVOUS & BROKE!”

Score : 8/10

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: JPEGMAFIA – EP2!

Despite EP2! being a lot less ambitious than most of his previous efforts, JPEGMAFIA still puts out some enjoyable songs

JPEGMAFIA, one of Baltimore’s most innovative and ground-breaking voices in hip hop, returned with his second EP in as many months. EP2! contains seven songs where we see the rapper going towards a softer and moodier direction than on previous projects, while surfing on the instrumentals with a soothing, autotuned voice.

This EP sees Peggy playing it safe with the production and vocals, which is not within his usual habits, as he tends not to hold back. He usually goes out of his way to find some of the weirdest possible sounds, which helped him build a cult following. The production of this short project borrows a lot of the same sounds, so much so that it feels like the songs blend into each other, especially in the first half of the release.

“FIX URSELF!” is easily one of the best singles he has ever put out. On this track, he sounds as braggadocious and confident as ever, while flowing on the contagious beat with a smooth autotune. He delivers a memorable hook which makes the song sound like a celebratory track. This number contains everything you would want from a JPEGMAFIA song.

The next song “KELTEC!” sees the MC hop on a similar instrumental as on “FIX URSELF!” with the snares, light claps and synth horns all being featured prominently, albeit without the same charisma and catchiness that the previous tune had.

Although he used similar sounds on the first four tracks, he switches it up on the last three. This is especially notable on “PANIC ROOM!” which is the closest JPEGMAFIA has come to recreating his classic abrasive and ear-challenging sound. This track contains some weird drum patterns and sounds that work well with his flow on the song. This is by far the most experimental song on this micro-album and it sounds like it could have been on Veteran.

“THIS ONES FOR US!” and “FEED ME!” are smoother and more relaxed songs that see him approaching some more mainstream and contemporary sounds like the elegant guitar chords on the back end of “FEED ME!” or the sweet metallic bell on “THIS ONES FOR US!”

While JPEGMAFIA does not take as many risks as he did on EP!, which was way more adventurous and daring than EP2!, he still serves us a great appetizer for a possible upcoming album.

 

Score: 7/10

Trial track: FIX URSELF!

Categories
Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: JPEGMAFIA – All My Heroes Are Cornballs

This album isn’t for everyone, but it’s one of the most ambitious albums of 2019

It’s hard to classify what kind of music JPEGMAFIA makes. There’s clearly rapping involved, but his newest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, defies any expectations one might have about a rap album. This project features some of the strangest beats of the year as well as some insane, loud, and in-your-face performances by Peggy himself. The album’s strangeness is most apparent on tracks like “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot”, where the song itself provides as many laughs as its title.

In contrast to his previous album, Veteran, Peggy’s new project is much more melodic, and he even flips TLC’s classic “No Scrubs” on “BasicBitchTearGas.” His new album isn’t for everyone. Frankly, it isn’t for most casual music listeners, but it is one of the most unique and ambitious albums of 2019.

8.5/10

Trial Track: “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot”

Star Bar: “Say what you said on Twitter right now (Right now, exactly, nigga)

You only brave with a board and a mouse (Uh-huh)

You wasn’t talkin’ when I put you in the ground (Sucker)

Don’t leave the house

Don’t get capped by a n*gga in a motherfuckin’ gown” (JPEGMAFIA on “Beta Male Strategies”)

Categories
Music

From beats to bars to boybands

JPEGMAFIA came with raw, visceral energy to the Belmont last Thursday. Photo by Simon New

The lowdown on shows at POP Montreal

 

Goodbye Honolulu

POP Montreal

By Ana Lucia Londono Flores, Contributor

Have you ever heard of Goodbye Honolulu?

It’s the boyband that will make your head nod all night long. That’s right, nothing better than

listening to rock music on a school night. The Toronto-based group composed of Fox Martindale, Jacob Switzer, Emmett Webb and Max Bornstein played at the back of Barfly, a small bar on St-Laurent Blvd. This was their first performance at POP Montreal. In the bar, the lights were low, creating a calm and chill ambiance. The people were ready to hear them, and so was I. As the band arrived on stage, I felt like they owned the place. Goodbye Honolulu made sure everybody was feeling the music. Frequent eye contact was their way of connecting with the crowd at Barfly. While the music was playing, I felt like the audience was attracted to the melodies. Even the smallest sound problems added to the band’s charm. In between songs, they conversed with the audience and made fun of each other. They were very comfortable and very friendly. Just the type of band you would want to see on a school night.

 

Lydia Képinski

POP Montreal

By Olivier Du Ruisseau, Contributor

The 25-year-old Montreal singer pulled off a remarkable performance and mise en scène at the notorious Cinéma L’Amour last Wednesday.

Toward the end of the night, when her sadistic-themed show had turned the movie theatre into a dance floor, Képinski said: “This is the kind of concert all your friends will be jealous they didn’t go to.” And she was right; it was quite an experience.

The venue itself was a big part of what made this opening show of POP Montreal so special. As the audience entered the theatre, a drunk clown was waiting to greet them with directions to the bar. Just before Képinski’s arrival, a medieval pornographic film was projected on the movie screen behind the stage. The screen was used throughout the concert, playing some of the singer’s creative video clips, custom-made for the show. She also added two musicians to her band, which allowed for a more rock experience and refined some of her songs.

Despite the one-hour delay, the mediocre sound quality and the singer’s voice cracking from time to time, Képinski still accomplished her most grandiose and extravagant performance yet, enjoyed by a mixed crowd of anglophones and francophones, proving that good music transcends language barriers.

 

JPEGMAFIA

POP Montreal

By Simon New, Music Editor

JPEGMAFIA, who affectionately refers to himself as Peggy, came out on stage at the Belmont like a lightning bolt striking an angry internet comment section, manifested in a man with top-notch rap skills. During the opening of his set on Thursday, Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks started a chant of “Fuck you Peggy,” which the crowd ravenously carried.

Having released his indie hit album, Veteran, about a year ago, it was easy to see the effect it had on the crowd. The album is a mix of the Baltimore street culture where Hendricks was born, and the internet culture in which he was raised. “This album is for the internet,” he said on Twitter prior to the release.

He holds nothing back in his lyrical tirades against everything from Morrissey to alt-right Twitter trolls, with bars as hilariously caustic as “AR built like Lena Dunham / When I shoot I don’t miss.” Fans at the Belmont yelled the lyrics like they were screaming about JPEGMAFIA for the first time outside of the comments, and it was glorious.

Hendricks fed on the crowd’s voltaic energy, throwing himself off the stage and rapping through the crowd, all without missing a line. The Belmont was buzzing that night, and the crowd caught a glimpse of the lightning rod that is JPEGMAFIA.

 

Main photo by Simon New

Exit mobile version