Intensity Strikes with JPEGMAFIA

JPEGMAFIA at the Belasco, LA by Jacob Alvarez

PEGGY CONTROLLED ONE OF TWO SOLD OUT SHOWS IN LA

In many cases for artists, you begin building a reputation in the underground scene before making your big break. This goes for Peggy, with multiple mixtapes under his belt, it wasn’t until 2018’s Veteran that he popped up on radars of people (thanks Fantano).

Labeled as experimental hip-hop, JPEGMAFIA has created a diverse catalogue of music expression, using obvious influences of indie bands such as Radiohead and rappers like Ye to fluctuate the his sound to much acclaim. In my opinion, Peggy can really do no wrong, and even with features, he almost always packs a punch. When it was announced that he would play two intimate shows in Downtown LA, I knew it would be one for the books.

The line to get in wrapped around the block and ended near the parking lot adjacent to the venue. Having gone to many shows since Covid, this was by far the lengthiest line I had seen in a while. The fans ranged from Tyler, the Creator stans to Mac DeMarco enthusiasts which was interesting to me considering Peggy is more experimental and abrasive. It’s amazing that he transcends a traditional hip-hop following but then again, what constitutes a traditional hip-hop following?

Going through security, Fucking Awesome brand skater and Mid90s star Na-Kel Smith was trying to finesse security to come out of the venue then back in. Peggy was even nice enough to have guards hand out custom made JPEGMAFIA face masks. Once inside, I took my place and watched opener Zelooperz get the show started.

Zelooperz mostly did covers, including Waka Flocka Flame’s “Hard in da Paint” but he did have his audience there too. Openers can sometimes not match the vibe of the headliner, causing most of the audience to drink at the bar or talk in the lobby, but Zelooperz did his job. I’m sure he even made a few fans due to his hype set which also allowed him to crowd surf. If someone has walked into the venue not knowing Peggy was headlining, they might have thought he was the main act.

Right before JPEGMAFIA took the stage, “random” songs were played such as Brittney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” They all have connection to Peggy, and then the lights went out and he walked on stage like he was walking into his living room. He stared at the crowd almost in confusion, seeing so many people raising their hands and chanting his name. He smiled and took to his laptop introducing himself as “JPEG-Mother fucking-Mafia.” He quickly went into “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot” which got the crowd raging. Fans were jumping, thrashing, and moshing to each song that followed.

When it comes to Peggy, you get an abrasive set. He stands on the railing of that separates the photo pit and the audience. He spit into the mouths of two women in the crowd that openly asked for it. He ran to the corner of the pit where I held my camera, which resulted in the image you see above. He introduced “BALD!” by looking for bald fans in the crowd, eventually seeing one guy on the barrier to which he walked over and shared a touching head butt. He even performed an a cappella cover of Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” with the crowd singing in sync. My favorite part of the show was when Peggy jumped into the crowd to perform his verse off BROCKHAMPTON’s “CHAIN ON” while Kevin Abstract and Nick Holiday watched from the balcony.

From the audience chanting “Fuck Morrissey” before Peggy began “I Cannot Fucking Wait Until Morrissey Dies” to ending strong with “Rainbow Six,” no fan in that venue could have any complaints whatsoever about the performance. I watched the end of the show from the balcony, seeing the light structure create a cage to which Peggy ofter broke out of when performing. It was one of the best hip-hop shows I’ve attended in the last two years, and showcased that every intentional unorthodox move Peggy created has truly paid off.

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!