Peggy’s proclivity for guns and autotune raps deepens on this sequel to 2020’s EP!
Teased with the single “LAST DANCE!,” I expected a much more hardcore rap project than what we received in either EP! or All My Heroes Are Cornballs. However, what we received was a pleasantly surprising sound much more closely resembling the autotune ballads and melodies of Cornballs. The distant, low-down rattles of the wind chimes in the beginning of the song resemble some sort of hollow chamber in which this project lurks. JPEGMAFIA unleashes bars in an infectious flow throughout his verse, setting the tone for the horns, fit for a video game boss battle, to thunder in. Heavy bass is also introduced at this point in the song, making the track just that much more wicked-sounding. The second single from the project “FIX URSELF!” is split into two parts on the EP, with “INTRO!” bearing the mumbling introduction (who would have guessed?) of the original track. The horn sections here sound far more prideful and delighted in sharp contrast to the previous song.This one undoubtedly has the best chorus and song structure on the entire project, with the crooning autotuned melodies making for a very catchy track. A message to a relationship partner, the track also serves as a reminder to himself that JPEG has his fans, affectionately labeled “refugees,” to rely on when he has no one else. “KELTEC!” is a flat-out diss to much of the music business, particularly rappers that sell out or make themselves slaves to the industry. Proud of having made a name for himself by being 100% himself, Peggy flexes the fact that he owns all of his music and has carefully crafted every aspect of it, whereas most other artists can’t relate. In the first reference I’ve ever seen to the origin of his stage name, Peggy also makes a clever comparison to other rappers merely being “PNG” files that need to get their quality up. Although I believe this to be the weakest track production-wise here, it’s still great lyrically. This is followed up with the delightful “THIS ONE’S FOR US!,” which includes the best rapping on the record, with the grimy flow throughout the second verse as well as the ending in the third verse. With help from James Blake on the production end of “PANIC ROOM!,” we receive another dark and murky track with aggressive lyrics. The sonar melody throughout the song fits in well with the “emergency” theme provided by the title, which is likely a reference to how terrified he makes other rappers feel due to his artillery. This track has the most beautiful and unexpected ending on the EP, where we hear a lone acoustic guitar to combat the abrasiveness of JPEGMAFIA’s rap lines. The project closes out with “FEED HER!,” a cut that greatly appeals to me through its slow but sure build up to a climax. This is one that I continue to return to, as it seems like Peggy taking the best from most of the previous tracks and combining them into one: sticky bars, potent flows, and great melody through production. Overall, this is an incredibly solid end to a likewise amazingly consistent project. With the recent release of LP!, I'm glad to see that JPEGMAFIA is still using similar ideas from this project to branch off of. Tracks to listen to from here are “FEED HER!” and “FIX URSELF!”
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AuthorEnrique Cardenas III Archives
November 2021
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