EP2! - JPEGMAFIA: Review
JPEGMAFIA
is a Maryland based rapper who has spent the last 5 years or so establishing himself as one of the most acclaimed and influential artists in the world of underground hip hop. After collecting all of the singles he released last year into a compilation style EP he's following that release up with a 2nd EP of nre material.
Review By Lav:
I've been a pretty big fan of Peggy's work over the past few years particularly his pair of studio albums Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Even though I was a little mixed on his output of singles last year he still managed to drop a couple of incredible tracks regardless, and I'm always anticipating whatever creative sonic directions Peggy will take his sound in next. On EP2 his sound is a bit more hymgonized than before with one slick pop rap song after another making up the tracklist. While I do miss some of the versatility you can expect sonically and compositionally from Peggy's projects, I do have to admit that he does this style justice and I like more of these tracks than I don't.
The record kicks off with a pair of songs that we're previously released as singles. LAST DANCE! is a pretty solid track where Peggy is singing more than rapping but still brings hilarious lyricism and unmistakable charm. His refrains are a little bit slurred but that's really his style and he makes it work. When the crushing keys crash into the song in the second half it makes for an even more satisfying verse and the results are strong. FIX URSELF! sees Peggy delivering a dead ringer Drake song from like 2011. With the horns and snappy drums plus a vocal performance that's a bit undersold compared to Peggy's normal style it feels like it has to be an intentional reference or callback to Take Care era Drake. Being a fan of that record I found myself enjoying this track quite a bit.
THIS ONES FOR US! is one of the most intense songs on the record despite the instrumental featuring some warm keys and chimes. Peggy is confrontational and intense in his performance as he references back to his military service and makes threats at anyone standing in his way. PANIC ROOM! sports James Blake production but it really doesn't sound all that different from the rest of the records tracks from a vibe standpoint. What does stand out is Peggy's fast paced flow which features a number of slick switch-ups times to rises in the hazy keys. It's a short but intense track that keeps me on my toes.
FEED HER! is the EP's most lowkey cut with a methodical beat and some sung refrains. While it's certainly pleasant on the ears I don't think it's one of my favorite tracks here. KELTEC! is probably my least favorite cut despite having a much stronger instrumental prescence right out of the gate. The raw method with which the song is mixed is also a bit too messy to make out all the great details layered in the song. I also think the song itself is just okay it's written really similarly to other songs here and aside from some funny lines there isn't much I would call memorable.
EP2! is a solid set of tracks that projects a new direction for Peggy without strongly committing to anything definitive going forward. Given how versatile his discography is it does feel like he's holding himself back a bit compositionally and delivering measured performances to match. If Peggy wants to take a more lowkey approach and write more standard pop and R&B songs this EP proves that at the very least he can hold his own with the style, and he will probably get even better going forward. 7/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
