SEARCH FOR: JPEGMAFIA

It’s officially JPEGMAFIA season. If you’ve been keeping tabs on the Baltimore-native recently, you would know he’s been teasing a “disappointment” for quite some time now, and quite the “disappointment” his new offering, titled “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot”, is. In all seriousness, the new track is phenomenal, which shouldn’t be a surprise at this point, considering that Peggy is one of the most creative and cutting-edge rap artists to rise out of the past decade. While the song will switch up on a dime, it’s his vocals that are providing the most variation, proving his versatility more than ever on a single track. The production becomes noisy when Peggy is screaming his heart out, and spacey when he belts out his sweet auto-tune vocals on the song’s refrain, which I personally can’t get out of my head: “you better count your blessings for REEEEAALLL.” What remains consistent at the core of this track is an off-kilter piano melody that serves as a foundation for the track. It’s pretty addictive and proves to be the only thing listeners can rely on being there for them throughout the track’s two and a half minutes, as warping synthesizers and heavy …

Frank Ocean isn’t an artist I can always expect new music from, and for that reason, I don’t. For one, he’s completely on his own schedule, and takes the time he needs to perfect his craft. Along with that, I’m still spinning the two albums he dropped in 2016, Blonde and Endless, as if they came out yesterday, being that they haven’t aged even a second. So as great as new music would be, I’m not too hard pressed on it because of who Frank is, and I don’t like to get my hopes up. However, that doesn’t mean we should count out any and all new content from Frank, and this is proven again today, as his new cover story with Dazed Magazine has been released. He is questioned by a number of performance artists like John Waters, Janet Mock, and Billy Porter, but also receives a couple of questions from contemporary hip hop artists like JPEGMAFIA and Matt Ox. He is asked dozens of questions, ranging from his infamous record deal fiasco to the perfect swimming pool environment. Frank is also asked if he is a futurist or nostalgic, and even hints at the idea that a Channel Orange vinyl may be released in …

We’ve been hearing “Injury Reserve Coming Soon” for months now, and the day that we can finally listen to their self-titled album in full is here. Earlier this week, I wrote a piece highlighting everything the group has done so far including the singles in support of this album, what makes the group so great, and how committed they are to their craft. I’m happy to say that the group delivered with their latest release, as expected. The production on this project is layered, diverse, and pulls from a variety of genres. Elements of noise are heard on the hard-hitting second half of “What a Year It’s Been”, there’s some early 2000’s sounding production on the quirky “Gravy n’ Biscuits”, and “Best Spot In The House” features some glitchy and atmospheric production. “GTFU”, track three, is a journey in and of itself. It opens with a hard-hitting and raw, stripped-down beat, along with intense verses from Cakes Da Killa and Ritchie along with additional vocals from JPEGMAFIA that add a sense of chaos to the track. Before long though, the song transitions into this mystical soundscape backdropping a couple of brutally honest verses from Groggs and Ritchie. “Rap Song Tutorial” …

Just recently, one of rap’s premier hit-making producers, Kenny Beats, started up a new series on YouTube where he puts together a beat in just 10 minutes and allows many of his highly-talented music friends throw together a freestyle. For the first episode, Kenny invited JPEGMAFIA to the studio, but this time, he switched things up and brought none other than Smino and Monte Booker. Giving fans some insight into just how spontaneous and seemingly fun the creative process can be for Kenny Beats and his friends, this video is a must-watch for any fans of either Kenny, Smino, or Monte. All three have been turning heads and making some truly timeless music for quite some time now, so seeing them come together in the studio and have some fun with it is certainly an incredible sight to see. Needless to say, the latest episode of The Cave is yet another fantastic release to add to the musical contributions that Kenny Beats has been blessing us with as of late, so don’t sleep. Watch this one below and prepare yourself to watch Smino lay down an absolutely brilliant freestyle!

JPEGMAFIA and Kenny Beats deliver a psychedelic oozing video for their collaboration, “Puff Daddy.” Beginning at a diner, JPEGMAFIA is awaiting his food that is being prepared by the diner’s only cook, Kenny Beats. After adding a couple of drops of some unknown substance onto MAFIA’s stack of pancakes, Kenny serves him his meal. What ensues next, is a psychedelic rollercoaster ride reminiscent of the 1998 cult classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This is MAFIA’s first video release since his COLORS performance of his song, “Thug Tears” in December of 2018. We have our fingers crossed, hoping for more collaborations between the skilled MC and one of this year’s hottest producers. Remember to put your friends on and show the Baltimore-native some love on Twitter and Instagram.  

  As we reach the final weeks of 2018, it’s a perfect window of time to look back at some of the artists who truly turned some heads and pushed the ball forward over the past 12 months. With this in mind, one act that must be mentioned is Baltimore’s own JPEGMAFIA, as he raised hell with one of my favorite projects of the year, Veteran. As abstract as JPEG gets, he’s an incredibly creative and ambitious artist, and today, this is put on display as he lets loose an energetic performance of the Veteran standout “Thug Tears” at COLORS Studios. With a tremendous supply of mic presence and an endlessly entertaining personality, this performance is definitely one of COLORS’ wildest to date. The budding talent lets out every bit of aggression that he feels in front of a smooth purple backdrop, and the result is a must-watch video for fans both new and old of Baltimore’s own. Notably, this video arrives just weeks after JPEGMAFIA’s new, Kenny Beats-produced single, “Puff Daddy” — be sure to stream the song here and watch the man himself perform “Thug Tears” at the link below!

Just like JPEGMAFIA’s music is from an entirely different universe, Kenny Beats’ ability to match the needs of any artist he sets his eyes on is like no other. With these two precedents set, it only makes sense that the highly-anticipated collaboration between the two, “Puff Daddy”, brings listeners into an entirely new world of music. The sounds, industrial and abstract, are addictively destructive in ways that we simply aren’t used to hearing, but are somehow able to fit perfectly into the energetic presence of JPEGMAFIA the second he touches the mic. “Puff Daddy” sounds like an alien invasion in the year 3000, and quite honestly, I’m 100% here for it. This is one of the best songs to come out throughout these past few release-heavy weeks, but don’t just take my word for it. Stream the latest from JPEG and Kenny below and let us know what you think in the comments!

Ever since the release of his 2018 album, Veteran, JPEGMAFIA has become one of rap’s most prominent rising figures. His boundary-pushing artistry and uncontrollable bursts of energy never fail to make for some truly great music, and deservedly so, The Fader is here to honor this today with a brand new JPEGMAFIA documentary entitled Right Here Is Home. Taking fans back to MAFIA’s Baltimore-bred roots, this video revisits the Bell Foundry — a creative space in the city where the budding star developed his beginnings as an artist. JPEGMAFIA’s story is an inspiring one to hear from a fan’s perspective, and upon watching this documentary, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that the authenticity and dedication in MAFIA’s craft are second to none. That said, whether you’re already a fan of JEPGMAFIA or not, Right Here Is Home is a great watch, so check it out below and stream Veteran here!

Ever since the release of his early 2018 project, Veteran, JPEGMAFIA has been on my radar as one of the most promising rising artists in music right now. His artistry sees no boundaries, and bringing to life the hit song “1539 N. Calvert” today, he’s here to drop off a stellar new video and keep the stocks on an insuppressible rise. That said, denoted by the address featured in the title of the track, this song acts as an ode to Baltimore’s creative venue, The Foundry. After being taken down in 2016, JPEGMAFIA simply had to pay tribute to such an important spot in his career, and the visuals that we receive today are meant to display the free-ranging essence of the space and how it made him feel as an artist. “1539 N. Calvert” is an incredible song, so it only follows that it needed an incredible visual companion — and this offering provides just that. Click play at the link below and let us know what you think in the comments below! Directed by Audrey Gatewood Video Production by everybodyneedsus

Denzel Curry’s Ta13oo album was met with critical acclaim back in July with some saying it holds the potential for one of the best projects of the year. Whether or not that’s the case, his visuals have been second-to-none (check out the insane video for Clout Cobain) and now, the likes of Jpegmafia and Zillakami rejoin Denzel in the horrific depiction of their collab, Vengeance. Directed by Zev Deans, the new cinematic starts out with a dead Curry on the street before he is resurrected and searches out for revenge on someone. After a literal game of ‘Operation’ on the unfortunate victim, we then see Jpeg and Zilla join Curry outside of a Foot Rub store before riding into the night in a car which ultimately ends the cut. Chances are you’re a little confused after that explanation but you’d best see for yourself; click on the new Vengeance visuals below! Directed by Zev Deans