SEARCH FOR: JPEGMAFIA

Coming to mind in light of their latest two-pack of songs, i need water / he doesn’t love her, the genius of Brevin Kim is twofold, in my opinion; innovation and presentation. Comprised of two blood brothers from Boston, the duo’s most notable characteristic is the innovative boldness in their sound. Brevin Kim’s music sounds and feels like a step ahead, crossing genres without regard and operating entirely on its own sonic accord. It comes from a place of widespread influence and borderless creativity, seamlessly primed for the current climate of music and its future. To the second point of presentation, Brevin Kim’s music offers innovation without being too far removed. It’s eclectic, but rides a careful line between experimentation and digestibility that strikes right along the intersection of popular and boundary-pushing music today. With bigger names like JPEGMAFIA and Charli XCX helping shift the cultural zeitgeist toward more experimental waters, acts like Brevin Kim are helping move the ball forward at just the right time, and the result is music that is both enjoyable and necessary. i need water / he doesn’t love her is just the right expression of all of this. Across the two songs, it’s 5 and …

Although I did a write-up on JPEGMAFIA’s original version of his interesting and creative song “BALD!” just a couple months ago, I had no clue that a rapper like Denzel Curry would jump onto the remix. This pairing might sound strange, but they’ve actually worked together in the past. Along with this, no artist truly fits seamlessly into Peggy’s world, so any pairing might be surprising. This is partially due to the fact that Peggy himself doesn’t even really fit into his own world considering just how boundary-pushing his sound truly is. Every time he creates a song, he gets out of his comfort zone, so he’s pretty used to it at this point. Seeing an artist like Denzel get out of his own comfort zone in a different way than he typically would really lead to impressive and unexpected results, although I’m not extremely shocked due to the abundance of talent that the Florida emcee has demonstrated time and time again. Creating a remix for this track is a perfect bridge for Curry since it’s a song that was made to have fun on and not be taken too seriously, so he could really get experimental and try out …

When it comes to the world of Hip-Hop, there truly are no boundaries for certain artists. While it’s no secret in the slightest that JPEGMAFIA has been pushing the envelope and experimenting with different sounds throughout his entire career, he’s been breaking barriers and proving that different isn’t just okay, but it can truly be game-changing. While some fans aren’t as keen on this experimental sound or might even be afraid of it, I love embracing the strange sounds and uncharacteristic styles that Peggy has been bringing to life for years. He’s back with a brand-new track today called “BODYGUARD!” and an accompanying music videos for the song. While the uniqueness of this beat is no different than any other offerings from JPEG, it’s very calm, quiet, and dismissive. While it might seem hard to catch the rhythm at first, the soothing piano keys and uncharacteristic percussion eventually pair together and lead into a very emotional, telling ballad. JPEG’s voice is autotuned to the absolute maximum and although it can be overwhelming when other artists sing in a similar fashion, it’s welcomed and necessary within this record. Considering how bare-bones the instrumental is, his vocals carry the brunt of the …

With artists from JPEGMAFIA to 100 gecs finding widespread acclaim, it should come as no secret that music is experiencing the cultural Wild West right now. Nothing is off the table, and no sounds are “too weird.” Quite frankly, people would almost rather hear the weird stuff, blurring genres and pushing barriers to points of rapid experimentation. It’s all happening so quickly, and yet, the sheer innovation generated by new artists couldn’t be more exciting. Today, here to add their two cents to it all, Yungster Jack and David Shawty visit LL with their recent release, “Pressure.” Starting to gain some traction on TikTok at the moment, “Pressure” throws rules out the window, and maximizes the possibilities of what vocals, or a song, even are. Using sonic glitches to disarrange Jack and Shawty’s already-eclectic deliveries, the song offers a refreshing burst of energy, guided by its care-free spirit and lawless sound. It’s melodic, it’s fast-paced, and it certainly requires more than one listen, almost sure to sneak certain moments past fans on their first take. Add all this to the ever-quotable lyrics, and this one is undeniable, through and through. Rather than try to place a label on it, “Pressure” is the …

When you think of Hip-Hop artists who are making completely out of the box and unheard-of music in this day and age, JPEGMAFIA should be at the top of your list. His Lo-Fi sound has captured the ears of fans all across the country, and although sometimes it’s better to study to than blast through your speakers, it’s still as unique as Rap music can possibly get. You can also tell that he loves to just have fun with his music, typically not taking it too seriously and making songs for himself that others just happen to enjoy. I think this approach is vital because the moment you start catering to a group rather than staying true to yourself, the authenticity that most likely got you to the status you’re at can be lost. He continues showing the fun he has with his music on his latest offering called “BALD!”. This track is pretty much an ode to those with weak hairlines, although the attention to detail and creativity throughout makes it much more complex. He created extremely fast-paced production with a fairly valiant melody and old school snares. At a certain point, he switches the beat up to some …

Danny Brown is one of the most diverse artists to not only come out of Detroit, but he’s also one of the most multitalented artists in the rap game period. Coming on to the scene with his drug-induced personas that sounded like nothing else I’ve ever heard, I became a fan in the blink of an eye. As his career has progressed, he has come a long way as an artist as well, still speaking the same true stories from his past but in a different dynamic. His most recent project uknowhatimsayin¿ is the perfect example of his progression, and it might’ve been one of the best albums released last year in my opinion. One of the most notorious songs off of the record has to be “3 Tears” featuring one of the most ingenious duos in all of Rap, Run the Jewels. To go along with an already star-studded lineup, JPEGMAFIA created some insane old-school production for this track. Over the classic, boom-bap beat, Danny uses a pretty assertive flow with his deeper, more stern voice to lay down some serious bars. El-P takes the second verse, boasting masterful lyrics full of analogies and anecdotes. Finally, Killer Mike gets …

Danny Brown’s brand new album uknowwhatimsayin¿ is the sound of the Detroit rap artist settling into a new chapter in his life. It’s been three years since the release 2016’s Atrocity Exhibition: an off the wall rap record that has proved to be a standout from the decade due to its erratic nature, dark topical focus, and ability to push boundaries to a point where it can’t quite be classified at times.  Most have been wondering since then, how does one follow up an album like Atrocity Exhibition? Based on the singles he has released in 2019, along with his new record’s cover art and his overall appearance, all signs pointed towards a Danny that is in a better place than ever. And now after hearing uknowwhatimsayin¿ in full, that is further exemplified, as this is Danny having his most fun in years. Of course, Danny’s rapping is on point as always, and the production is top tier here, with credits from Q-Tip, Paul White, JPEGMAFIA, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, and more. Something else that stands out from this record are some extremely well-placed features, from Blood Orange to JPEGMAFIA. The JPEGMAFIA contributions in particular need to be mentioned, mostly due …

Still changing by the minute, the internet is a fascinating environment for music to exist in. Having removed the barrier of entry that we recognize as conformity, there now exists a time and a place for just about every kind of artist, no matter how experimental. Take, for example, the recent success stories of 100 gecs and JPEGMAFIA. Without sacrificing the integrity of their left-field artistic visions, each of the two have found unconventional success on their own terms, paving the way for other abstract artists to do the same in the years to come. Today, ready and roaring with the creative ambition to forge their path in a similar way, brotherly duo Brevin Kim is here with their brand new project, cliff. Just 4 tracks long, cliff is the kind of release that doesn’t take listeners’ attention for granted. Every second of the project is maximized with vibrant bursts of energy, and speaking to my favorite element of this one, cliff finds an unmatched balance between well-structured songwriting and unpredictable turns, constantly approaching from all directions. As a result, the duo’s latest provides a crowning example of music that doesn’t exist just to exist. Rather, instead of taking up room in …

JPEGMAFIA’s new album All My Heroes Are Cornballs is finally here, and it is without a doubt an album of the year contender.  Cornballs proves that the sky’s the limit for Peggy. He reaches into pockets no one knew existed and pulls out sounds that shouldn’t work together, bringing together elements from genres ranging from noise to glitch hop and combining everything into a sound that is unique to him.  Lyrically, he’s blunt as ever, telling it like it is, and only like it is, and every track on here is full of quotables. His cadence and delivery is dynamic as ever, as he fits into every track with ease despite the way that these tracks will switch up on a dime.   Only time will tell how this stacks up to the 2018 standout Veteran, but this new record is the most cutting edge and off the wall form of JPEGMAFIA yet. All My Heroes Are Cornballs genius will appear even further with repeated listens, but it is already apparent that it’s something special. Enough talking though, check out the album for yourself on Spotify below and all other platforms here!

The final disappointment that JPEGMAFIA has been teasing for months is finally in sight. In just two days, fans everywhere will be able to hear his new record All My Heroes Are Cornballs in full. Before that though, Peggy has given us another single from the album, titled “Beta Male Strategies”, keeping up the trend of having the best track titles in the game. As the name implies, Peggy goes at haters of his that talk shit about him on the internet, rapping about the fact that they wouldn’t say any of the things in person that they say to him on social media, and just overall he picks apart the way they operate behind a screen. Production-wise, this track is pretty abstract, which isn’t anything new for Peggy. Despite the lack of heavy-hitting drums, the song still goes hard, with a powerful delivery from Peggy and a fierce guitar melody that is introduced about halfway through the track. On the front and back end of the song is a soul-sample based beat that eases listeners in and out of the track. With two singles as strong as these, All Me Heroes Are Cornballs is sure to be an album …