“This next song is called ‘Jesus Forgive Me, I am A Thot,’” said the gravelly voice of rapper, producer and singer JPEGMAFIA, an abrasive series of clashes and screams ringing out from the stage.
The Baltimore artist’s music is fierce and unapologetically in your face, making him special in the realm of experimental rap. His songs feature an eclectic mix of rock and hip-hop that is riddled with social commentary amidst his jarring and inharmonious instrumentals.
“I can’t feel my face, oh God,” JPEGMAFIA sang, his voice warbled with auto-tune, the jumbo screen displaying the audience and the towering Chicago skyline amid the setting sun.
Joined by a full band that upheld the integrity of the recorded version of each of his songs, JPEGMAFIA’s distinct sound overtook the stage, an electric guitar powering the set as the drums crashed beneath it.
“Now, before I get into this next song, I have to give a shout out to all my bald b—–s in the crowd,” JPEGMAFIA said. “If you ain’t got no motherf—ing hair, make some motherf—ing noise.”
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Dozens of festivalgoers whooped in response, throwing their hands in the air.
“If you got hair, but it’s f—ed up, make some motherf—ing noise,” JPEGMAFIA said with more vivacity, this time amassing dozens more cheers from people who fell into the category.
“This next one’s for you, it’s called ‘BALD!’”
A more lo-fi sound echoed from the stage, JPEGMAFIA jumping in over the beat, his delivery of each line quick and smooth. The fast-paced production of the song, combined with the saturated layering of instrumentation, made it a standout point of the set.
He maintained his humor throughout the evening, making jokes that could sometimes barely be heard over the jarring crash of drums, heavy rock sound of the guitar and rattle of the keyboard.
“If I was an NBA player, I’d be like Dillon Brooks but worse,” he said at one point, winning chuckles from the crowd.
In the middle of the set, JPEGMAFIA did a cover of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, a song he has covered live numerous times throughout the past several years.
His warbled voice glided over the notes, the auto-tune adding a unique electronic aspect to the 2011 pop song. The crowd sang along, welcoming the step back from the harsher and oftentimes dizzying sound of JPEGMAFIA’s own music.
“Alright, ya’ll, we have finally made it to the ‘Scaring the Hoes’ section of the set,” JPEGMAFIA said about 30 minutes in, referencing the 2023 collaborative album with Detroit rapper Danny Brown.
The looped gospel sample of “You Don’t Know” by Timothy Wright marked the beginning of “God Loves You,” the sound exploding from the speakers before the drums burst in.
A slower moment of the performance was “either on or off the drugs,” the atmospheric melody of the song layered perfectly under JPEGMAFIA’S more melodic rapping style. The song had an ethereal aspect that highlighted his versatility as an artist and originality in any genre.
JPEGMAFIA is an artist who doesn’t come around all that often. He’s ambitious, innovative and unapologetic, and his industrial blend of rap and rock makes it clear that he refuses to fit into a singular category.
