JPEGMAFIA – Veteran

Explorative Experience

On JPEGMAFIA’s latest album, Barrington Hendricks proclaims himself a veteran. With just two albums and a handful of EPs under his belt, this statement may seem a bit premature, but it is anything but that. In his 28 years of life, Hendricks (aka JPEGMAFIA aka “Peggy”) has processed more than many individuals do in their entire lives. His frequent location changes (both domestically and abroad), his time in the Air Force, and his Master’s degree in Journalism all speak to his incredible versatility as well as his vast cultural credibility. Perhaps this is exactly what makes Peggy a veteran. At just 28 years old, he oozes confidence, knowledge, and creativity at an obscene rate. And the best part about this is that he is only getting better.

On his debut, Black Ben Carson, Peggy showcased a lot of grimy and brilliant ideas, but a lot of it really was the rapper seeing what stuck to the wall. This all-out approach is maintained on Veteran but tweaked in the best way possible. JPEGMAFIA turned what were clever concoctions into brilliant songs. All the while, he did this without dumbing down his creative process whatsoever. In fact, you could say the compositions on Veteran are possibly even weirder than on Black Ben Carson. They’re better executed in their structural frameworks, approach to dynamics and their nods to pop culture.

On “1539 N. Calvert,” Peggy immediately identifies himself as a ruthless, cynical man. His absurdist humor appropriately skewers topics such as sex, the crack epidemic, white privilege and American politics. Underneath these equally funny and depressing lyrics is an inviting, glitchy beat. The soaring chordal synths perfectly lay the foundation for the many synth motifs layered over it. It is all so cozy until the listener is pleasantly challenged with bass drum patterns that are modulated in both rhythm and pitch. Peggy seamlessly flows over this, creating little doubt in the listeners’ heads that he will have a hard time keeping up with the production on this record.

This is proven even further on the next cut: “Real N***.” This song is one of the most bizarre tracks you will hear all year. Wu-Tang Clan legend Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s groan is sampled prominently throughout the track, creating a very challenging beat. While this seems like it would never work well, it actually ends up creating a massive impact once everything comes together. The thumping bass and yodeling vocals give JPEGMAFIA the perfect canvas to sputter his incredibly energetic machine-gun flow. The energy on this track is palpable. Peggy drives every lyric home with absolute conviction. The same can be said for “Baby I’m Bleeding.” The manipulated vocal sample is, again very jarring, but it works so well. This track features JPEGMAFIA’s standout verses on the record. His lyrics are aggressive, but his humor allows the listener to not feel threatened.

This juxtaposition is very much what makes Peggy special throughout the record. Experimental production aside, his blend of militant energy and absurdist humor is something I think anyone can appreciate. It is not easy to see people as complex individuals with polarizing character traits, but on Veteran, Peggy leaves it all out to see. He shows the world that in order to truly be a veteran in life, you not only need to have a desire to learn, you need to be willing to show your true self, blemishes and all.