The Sublime Layers of JPEGMAFIA: "LP!" review
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2021
- I get to a review after some more meditations on the state of underground Hip-Hop. @JPEGMAFIA
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Jpegmafia for me is the perfect blend of pop music taste and industrial sounds mixed all together. The anti-alt right lyrics and class conscious lines from comrade Peggy is icing on the cake.
I agree and yet I don't. Peggy's music is pretty much anti-pop music??
@@jaceking5938 I don't use the term "anti-[genre]" because it might loses its meaning in the future if it does become mainstream.
@@traplover6357 seems like you could say that about any classification of anything but alright. Peggy's music has elements of hip-hop, r&b, punk, electronic and more, but one thing that I personally don't hear is pop (circa early 21st century)
@@jaceking5938 its very pop
@@jaceking5938 he literally interpolates something from a Britney Spears song on this album and did a TLC cover on the last one.
JPEGMAFIA's label was initially the underground Los Angeles independent collective Deathbomb Arc, best known for their affiliation with LA noise rap trio Clipping, with whom he released his breakout albums "Black Ben Carson" and "Veteran". After the success of "Veteran" he signed with EQT Recordings, a label which takes underground artists who are organically growing and then 'upstreams' them to Universal Music Group labels the more popular they become. "All My Heroes Are Cornballs" was released under EQT, and after its success "EP2!" and "LP!" were released under Republic Records, whilst "EP!" was re-issued by Republic after the success of its independently released singles. From an outside perspective, it seems that Republic Records and/or EQT got more involved with JPEGMAFIA's release schedule and creative output from 2019 onwards and this increasingly frustrated him. Most likely, he felt cheated after EQT essentially promised him freedom to organically grow and not limit his creativity. EQT's label roster strategy, in hindsight, seems very predatory as JPEGMAFIA would've maintained his trajectory as an independent artist- considering that he was seldom promoted by his label. This frustration seemed to have reached its limits for him after he recorded "EP2!" in the wake of the BLM protests in 2020, but could only release the project in February 2021. He was also unable to release the music video for "PANIC ROOM!" from that EP due to label intervention. He accompanies the "EP2!" release page on Bandcamp with the message "sometimes u have to remember who you really are and what you really stand for and then you realize you should have never been around them in the first place." This could partially refer to his label situation. As his intentions were clear that he wanted to leave the label, EQT and Republic likely refused to pay for any sample clearances or back him up legally and wanted him to pay for all of the samples out of his own pocket- hence the release of the "true LP" on Bandcamp and the delay of this album until October (the album was planned for much earlier in the year) since even Peggy didn't know the extent to how heavily each song used samples. The final three Online Version tracks are bonus singles from the "EP!" era, and likely were chosen by the label because they were the three best performing and most commercially viable singles from that project and thus could maximise revenues for the label. JPEGMAFIA costed his label very little in resources since he is self taught, uses no session musicians and doesn't typically record outside his home studio. Despite this, they refused to spend any money on him to allow for him to release experimental and "weird" music on a commercial scale- he had to sacrifice one, which seemed to be the commercial scale since he was never marketed or promoted by them apart from his "EP!" project- due to the success of the track "BALD!", which of course is featured on the Online Version of "LP!". JPEGMAFIA was a victim of a predatory label masquerading as a champion of independent music.
Bless you for this
God, this comment is basically music journalism
Absolutely different perspective on the album after reading this one
perfect
I always had a suspicion of this but never looked more into it. Thank you for so efficiently and effectively giving us the details ❤. Watching htbar can only tell us so much lol
Wow Skye you are so on the money without even realizing it. JPEGMAFIA released an album called DREAMCAST SUMMER SONGS in 2009 (under a different moniker) that was basically a vaporwave album before Daniel Lopatin and Macintosh Plus popularized the genre in 2010 and 2011 respectively. When he was a Veteran, he was deployed in Japan which gave him some aesthetic sensibilities which were obviously very in line with the whole aesthetic, and the fact that he put out a project which was a whole year ahead of a major internet music trend without getting any recognition for it has always been one of the most interesting parts of his music career. Would definitely recommend looking more into his music, he’s incredible.
I'm not a jpegmafia expert either but i was just watching a video going over how he was super ahead with the vaporwave sound so i kind of laughed when he introduced his theory about playing around with it on hazard duty pay as if his idea was super out there lol
“i like screwing with the cops, i’m lana”
peggy’s the best lol
I laugh out loud when I heard that bar for the first time
not saying he lifted the line but its similar to this song --> ruclips.net/video/XqK_Hj7XOaA/видео.html
@@robertjr8474 not really tho
In my opinion this is his best work yet. His beats and his flows are just so unique and amazing. He is so unafraid to express himself
Thank god im not the only one, i thought i was crazy for thinking this was his vest album.
@@swimsvg1855 he’s been improving with every release dude I personally enjoyed veteran a little more than amhac but dude literally hazard duty pay omg that beat is heavenly
Me too just from the first listen i was telling myself okay this is different he’s on sum other shit
@@younglamby2638 I need hazard duty pay on streaming rn
You gotta listen to all my heroes and veteran expeditiously
Your vaporwave comments were interesting, since JPEGMAFIA started out making what is practically proto-vaporwave- or even arguably the first vaporwave album- in his project "Dreamcast Summer Songs" under the name Devon Hendryx. The aesthetics and sounds of the project align with vaporwave, yet was released a year before Lopatin's "Chuck Person's Eccojams Vol. 1". Really cool instrumental album.
Would love to see you pick Peggy’s brain on this album. He’s had solid interviews in the past but I feel like he doesn’t necessarily get pressed on the subtle touches and specific samples that he utilizes in his music.
Jpegmafia has always had something of the plunderphonic/vaporware aesthetic . Like on his album Dreamcast summer songs or generation y under a different name you see that consistently.
Y O U T H I N K Y O U K N O W M E
dude nice FD Signifier shoutout
You should check out the new Lil Ugly Mane record, Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern. LUM was one of the first big internet rappers, hadn't released a major project under the name for 6 years until this dropped out of nowhere like last week. Crazy genre bending music with almost no connection to hip hop. The cover art alone should be enough to interest you
I second this. It's a really weird album in a strangely comfortable way, and so far removed from anything else under the Lil Ugly Mane moniker. I think it fits really well with the "post-rap" distinction of Injury Reserve's last album, though it is probably less rap than that. Some experimental hip-hop artists are really veering towards the experimental side lately, and I appreciate it.
I also second this (I third this?) but I think the album might be more interesting given the context of the rest of Ugly Mane's discography. Personally I'd rather see a video on Third Side of Tape, which finally arrived on streaming last month and feels a lot more in line with the Injury Reserve "post rap" label.
I adored this album. I think the differences in the ONLINE and OFFLINE versions (I personally preferred the offline, not only because JPEGMAFIA says it’s the “directors cut” so to speak but it also just feels more complete) make apparent how much influence corporatism, either through unwanted changes, sample clearances or whatever, has over the artistic process. You’re always aware of this. You hear about this stuff all the time, the artist v label narrative. Rarely though have I ever heard it manifest itself like this. The ONLINE version feels unavoidably stunted when comparing it to the artistic purity of the offline version. Makes you wonder how many albums would be dramatically different if every artist decided to release an OFFLINE version
Fantastic video prof skye, as always! I feel JPEG gets some flack nowadays that he’s “hip.” People tend to scoff more at his abrasive, internet savvy, provocative lyrics. I think it’s a real shame that so often music is taken at complete face value. People only pay attention to what is being said, and not why they are saying it. The contexts, the cultural background, and how this all adds to the meaning. Of course this is only a minor issue, as JPEG has garnered a great audience
Still though, I think you do a great job exploring these facets of an album. Not only in just this video, but all your videos. Analysing not just the “what”, but the “why.” The subtext becomes so much richer
I’m a recent subscriber but plan to be a long term one! Keep up the great content prof!!
You gotta check out Tkay Maidza's solo stuff. Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2 and 3 are some of my favorite projects in their respective years. She's really versatile and has a ton of different sounds and styles. Peggy is featured on the track Awake.
Both of those albums are so good! She is such a breath of fresh air in this current music climate.
When you mentioned how JPEGMAFIA put that singing snippet at the end of the song, reminds of how Conductor Williams and the other griselda producers put on a new beat as an outro for their songs. Great vid!
Also there is this general idea that Jpegmafia (or at the time Devon Hendryx) was one of the first people to do vaporwave with his album Dreamcast summer songs back in 2009
On one of his older songs titled Lemmy, Peggy lists all the genres that white culture effectively stole from black culture, and he includes techno in that list. For that reason I get the sense Peggy is very much tuned into the early stages of techno music and find it likely that the Are U Happy? sample is an intentional statement rather than just a happy accident. Great analysis, appreciate the scholarly level with which you approached this video.
You probably already plan on doing so, but I'll say it: you really should continue to explore JPEGMAFIA's other work. ESPECIALLY his work under the name 'Devon Hendryx'; THE GHOST~POP TAPE is an experimental ambient masterpiece, ALL MY HEROES ARE CORNBALLS is, in my opinion, his best body of work, and Veteran is his most challenging experience with sound. The man kills all of his projects with a level of depth that is untouched by other artists with the production being used to express his ideas. I'm glad to see that you loved LP!
Tkay Maidza is a rap, rnb and pop singer from my home city of Adelaide, south Australia. Her EP series has been great especially volume 2 from 2020. Waiting for her first LP now
I didn’t know that jit was a negative word, it’s used normally in Florida and some other places (meaning of it is kid)
Last I checked it was g-i-t, as in gangster in training.
@@psychoticbreaks167justletm4 no bruh, the most common use of that word is jit, Florida slang which just means young blood. Mfs in Florida call each other that all the time it’s aave
@@aze4964 Cool. Been in south florida all my life and it was never that much of a thing in my area. People basically used it as a joke. Eh, doesnt matter that much.
Ssomething about this video complely inspired me. Thanks for taking the time to put these together
greatly enjoyed the video today, amazing as always, thank you for always doing what you do
Hey Skye, I just discovered your channel through this fantastic video and finding out you have many more videos for me to jump into has me excited. You have very interesting takes on stuff that I hadn’t thought of. I appreciate the effort you put into this video, cheers!!
My homework for this video was listening to the Offline version! Had no idea there was two versions! Great review as always :)
this is an amazing video. i subbed based off of the techno history alone. i can tell you truly appreciate music & i appreciate people like you
Loved this video! Thanks for taking the time to make it! Look forward to the lana review :)
this was fantastic. so far. im only 10 minutes in. i strongly agree with every take you brought up. IM excited to check out the rest
I actually think jpegmafia is good at subverting masculine ideas. His album all my heroes are cornballs is full of songs that do that and is a major theme of the album and his career in general he likes to mess with gender expectations
@@sisyphus1326 yes
@@sisyphus1326 i am one and i agree with this person, im one of the black people who watch this channel who don't immediately reveal their existences
@@sisyphus1326 im not saying that im trying to hide my blackness its just that I barely say anything in a youtube comment section lol and there's a bunch of us in this weirder side of hip hop who don't try to make ourselves known (probably bc we not trying to tokenize ourselves in the wider audience). I feel like you said "Do you know any black men" to try to downplay what this person said here even though its valid
Ok just found your videos and you are a very thoughtful and eloquent commentator and I really appreciate how you don't give in to dogmatic ideas about rap which dominate the media narrative.
Plus you shouted out some great artists who don't get enough appreciation so consider me a fan of your channel!
Really great review Skye. Not only that but every comment here is informed, educated and positively worthwhile. Keep on doing the do Prof!
Just found your channel today. Already a huge fan. Love hearing your views on music.
I'm subbing! This was such a good breakdown 👏🏾👏🏾
the "wrist wrist wrist" part in What Kind of a Rapping is This. Is a reference to a song called Look at My Wrist by ILoveMakonnen
ur channel is amazing and under-rated
if you liked the switch up on "hit me baby one more time" try his cover of "call me maybe". I also super encourage you to check out his other records AMHAC and Veteren are both incredible, he has other music under the name Devon Hendryx but that would be a lot of homework!
This Breakdown >>>
If you want to look more into the vaporwave side of JPEGMAFIA's discography, then listen Devon Hendryx (his old artist name) - The Ghost Pop Tape. Some people credit this album as a precursor to vaporwave.
Well done album review. This albums has been my favorite release of the year but your perspectives and insights were great. Especially giving historical tid bits from Detroit which I am now going to research 😂
Thank you for your thoughts, always appreciate ya!
Really interesting review that gave a lot of interesting history about hip hop as it relates to the themes of Peggy’s music. I see myself watching more of your vids because of that type of insight
Hey Prof Skye! Been watching you for quite some time now and love your academic approach to reviews. There’s one album that was released late 2021 that I think would interest you and that is dltzk’s “frailty”. Really give you the sound of Gen Z.
someone send this video to peggy
Excellent analysis, Professor
JPEGMAFIA took shot at Armand Hammer because he has beef with ELUCID. JPEGMAFIA and Armand Hammer were once very close artistically around 2018, with JPEGMAFIA producing for the track "Barbarians" from their album "Rome"- an instrumental which was later used on JPEGMAFIA's album "Veteran". “Leopards” from Armand Hammer album "Shrines" contains a verse from Elucid that has a diss directed at JPEG, is due to Elucid being forced to take down his track “Oblivion Reflex” (which features production from JPEGMAFIA) after Elucid questioned JPEGMAFIA as to why he recycled the beat by giving it to rapper IDK. The situation isn't very well known in the public eye.
UPDATE: a few days after the release of LP! the conflict between Elucid and Peggy was resolved
I didn't know about all this but I gotta say that is kinda wack to give Elucid beats then go and recycle them somewhere else/give them to a bigger rapper like IDK. I donno if Jpeg charges for beats but thats even wacker if he charges people for beats then goes and recycles them somewhere else.
@@0oidiedinatimemachineo024 shady beat deals aren't exactly a new thing for Peggy. the beat to "Real Nega" from his Veteran album was interpolated, with permission, from a small beat maker on RUclips who ended up getting credited by his government name rather than his artist name and so got no real traction from the success of that album. that producer feels very cheated since that song is basically an experimental rap classic now and he's still not known for his contribution.
@@marxistlynchist do you know the channel of the producer
@@apinchofdisappointment the producer is called chef warren and here’s the link ruclips.net/video/guwPLiljwrc/видео.html
best review of this album imo, thx skye for the peggy love
I think you nailed it on the reference to the second wave of techno. In the song "TIRED, NERVOUS AND BROKE", in the chorus peggy says :
"All my opps sick, tired, nervous, and broke
And they still take me as some j- (Man, huh?)"
I think this j- is in reference to the slur you talked about. At least the j is in genius lyrics for the song, but it really sounds like he says j
This is my favorite album of 2021 so far. It is such a beautiful culmination of industrial, hip hop, pop, different styles of rap and singing, and some genius sampling.
Nice video. Since you like what you hear from Peggy so far, know that you will be rewarded the further you dig into his discography. My favorite is his 2018 release VETERAN, but the dude is prolific and there’s a lot to be heard. Happy listening
You should really take a look at veteran and AMHAC. He's put out so much fantastic material in such a short amount of time and I'm always excited to see what's next.
This is some really great analysis, I wasn't expecting this kind of depth even given the source material. Subbed, excited to see what you've got in store. Peggy's music has impacted me and my music as much, if not more than MF DOOM. He exemplifies the as yet unexplored potential of hip hop as a medium. Stay neurotic, say "right" as much as you need to, you've got a lot of educating to do and clearly have a passion for and deep understanding of art. Keep your finger on the pulse, also check out Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs. I feel like they'd be some good food for thought.
Speaking of his vaporwavey style, JPEGMAFIA (or as he was known at the time Devon Hendryx) is actually accredited with being one the pioneers/ inventors of the vaporwave production aesthetic with his 2009 project 'Dreamcast Summer Songs' which is more or less 40 minutes of vaporwave adjacent hip hop type instrumentals
YES YES YES YES YES THIS IS MY AOTY
would love to see u go into more jpeg albums
Honestly man, if we're watching a review that's over 30 min, you might as well go out on all the limbs you want. Like I mean that in the best way, the people watching your stuff, especially the longer reviews, are undoubtedly invested and wanna hear all your thoughts. I do, at least.
I really wanna know you opionion on Jpegmafias all my heroes are cornballs. I think you would really like. Great video. Really happy that because of jpeg i found you. Keep doing you!
About to join your patrion. Have you ever considered reviewing your viewers music?
I’m pretty sure the Wrist part at the beginning of What Kinda Rapping Is This? Is a reference to Look At Wrist by Father. It’s a product of the internet that is pretty much just a meme.
A lot of Peggy's stuff is amazing and I'm sure a bunch of people have already recommended Veteran and Ghost Pop Tape, but I think you'd really enjoy All My Heroes are Cornballs. It's very different from LP! sound wise, but I feel like there are several similarities to certain things you mentioned. Like when it comes to the layering, the mix of fractured production and production that has a lot of breathing room -- leading to a cohesion of sounds, comments on masculinity, etc. There's even another cover of a famous late-90s pop song on there lol. It features way more of Peggy singing, too, if you like Thot's Prayer or that duet at the end of Tired Nervous and Broke.
EP! (the first one, not EP2) is great too and, hands down, has some of my favorite Peggy songs (which feature some insanely catchy melodies) but since it essentially serves as a compilation of a bunch of previously released singles/loosies he had put out, it doesn't feel like a fully/intentionally thought out project or something like AMHAC does.
Oh and you mentioned how you thought he was taking shots at Armand Hammer. Which is correct. I might be getting the story partially wrong but I think Armand Hammer gave Peggy a beat, then Peggy gave that beat to someone that Armand Hammer isn't fond of. So some subtle words were traded back and forth over some songs and on social media, culminating on this album. But the beef has since been squashed.
You’re totally right about the vapor wave influence. Check out his old bandcamp Devon Hendryx, he was doing vapor wave before it was a big genre
listening to this cheers me up.
you should definitely check out his Veteran album, probably my favorite album of 2018
Hey Prof I noticed you mentioned this is the 2nd JPEGMAFIA project you have dove into and I wanted to recommend his album All My Heroes Are Cornballs, he incorporates even more vaporwave sounds in this record and in my opinion this was the best album of 2019. Great review, I listened to both versions and yes the one on streaming is good too but it almost feels like its not the type of album he would personally put out tracklist wise (a common trend when encountering label politics). The OFFLINE version is way better to me and really feels like its what he wanted to put out and I'm glad he did.
You should review the new Parquet Courts record!
Hi Professor Skye!
Would you please consider reviewing the album Letter Blue by the artist WET? It just released 10.22 and I think it’s a fairy flawless record!
thank you for your review videos! you should listen to cities aviv’s “working title for the album secret waters”
Check out the song Dorks by Aesop Rock. Probably my favorite diss track I've heard in rap, he goes in on other rappers in such a unique way.
You should definitely listen to Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs they are both excellent albums.
REVIEW THE GHOST POP TAPE FOR ME ITS HIS BEST WORK
Do blue banisters next please
"Love screwin' with the cops, I'm Lana" -Jpegmafia, DIRTY!
Cant wait for your next review
I find it interesting you keep referencing how Peggy has some vaporware like elements. He actually made what is thought to be the first vaporware album back in 2009 (when we went by Devon Hendryx) called Dreamcast Summer Songs. It's on Bandcamp and is an incredible record that is ahead of its time.
its funny that you mention vaporwave, because he is known to have done one of the first vaporwave album ever (before the term existed). Dreamcast Summer Songs (under the name Devon Hendryx), back when he was living in Japan.
RE. Peggy incorporating vapourwave into his tracks - He used to release music as Devon Hendryx when he was living in Japan that is considered by some to be a precursor to vapourwave
Love the VU Andy Warhol in the background!
offline's on streaming now 🥳🥳
Please listen to ‘all my heroes are cornballs’. It’s his best album in my opinion.
peggy invented vaporwave
JPEG had other incursions into vaporwave with their Devon Hendryx work
On Jpegmafia's song "Puff Daddy" he references Ka
"Spit like K A"
Love the videos and I agree we have such a broad scope of incredible music right now.
I know you only listen to new stuff, but next week for DOOMSDAY you should listen to some MF DOOM even just for yourself. 'MM FOOD' is easy to get into
What kinda rapping is this / "wrist wrist wrist":
Pretty sure its a reference to Look At Wrist Wrist by ILOVEMAKKONEN and Father. A song a love but dead to rights on his criticism /opinions of those type of rappers.
Please review The Ghost Pop Tape. I think you'll see JPEG as Zappa then
love it
listen to Veteran aswell Professor
2 things! I was unclear on wether you think Joe Budden the RUclipsr and Joe Budden are two different people or if you differentiated the two time periods in his life for effect. And would you mind turning up the volume on the videos. The ads are so loud that i have to adjust the volume between them. And thank you for your thoughts.
Never heard of this channel but I can tell just from how he looks that he knows his shit
He has an album named black ben carson, he might be referring to that
Jpegmafia actually defined himself as "not Drake" in his first album, Black Ben Carson, the opening track is a full-blown Drake diss, saying like he's going to save hip-hop from the Drake era. So weird how he is kinda closer to Drake now musically than he was back then. But he is still very aggressive to anyone really haha. But I really loved that I got to learn about the origins of black techno, and "ARE U HAPPY?" is my favorite track from the LP!
Wait till you listen to veteran or AMHACB. Even some of his mixtapes. Even more “out there” than this album. All of his stuff is great though. This recent album has been on repeat since it came out.
LETSS GOOOOOO
Another note! If you haven’t heard the new Low album yet, I can’t recommend enough. Music deconstructed at its best
If you like vaporwave inspired hip hop you’d like lil b- 6 kiss, it’s considered a classic and he seems like a real good guy from what I’ve seen.
You need to listen to Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs.
21:39 jpegmafia was a vaporwave pioneer before he got big btw so yea
Ooooooh is that an original Velvet Underground and Nico LP from 1967?
Hey Skye - just wanted to say I love this new discursive format. For too long has great art such as Ka, JPEG etc. gone unanalysed by someone as befitting as you. More far-reaching /deep academic interpretations of the renaissance we find ourselves in and less song by song reviewing - just my thoughts!
You should release your music!
You should also check out Tkay Maidza she's great.
This is a good era for hip hop but the 2000 - 2010 era has yet to be topped. MBDTF, MMLP, Nujabes. And the list goes on.
Where do I get those posters though.. 👀
End Credits is one of my all time favorites from Peggy, it's interesting to me to know that you skip it now
“Whatever the artist tells me to do I listen” yet you made a whole segment about Barthes in another review, how complex