JPEGMafia

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JPEGMafia
JPEGMafia performing in 2019
JPEGMafia performing in 2019
Background information
Birth nameBarrington DeVaughn Hendricks
Also known asDevon Hendryx
Born (1989-10-22) October 22, 1989 (age 32)
New York City, U.S.
OriginBaltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2007–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitejpegmafia.net

Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks[2][3] (born October 22, 1989), known professionally as JPEGMafia (stylized in all caps), is an American rapper, singer, and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. His 2018 album Veteran, released through Deathbomb Arc, received widespread critical acclaim and was featured on many year-end lists. It was followed by 2019's All My Heroes Are Cornballs, released to further critical acclaim.

Early life and education[]

Hendricks was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Jamaican parents.[4][5] He spent the majority of his childhood in Flatbush,[6] before moving to Alabama at age 13, where he says he experienced a significant amount of racism which later had a great effect on his music.[7] Hendricks moved to Louisiana and enlisted in the United States Air Force at age 18. He served a tour of duty in Iraq and also spent time in Kuwait, Germany, Japan, and North Africa,[8] before being honorably discharged.[9][1][10][11] Though he previously claimed to have a master's degree in journalism,[1][12][13] Hendricks has since clarified that, though having studied the subject while deployed, he was not officially awarded a degree.[14] In April 2021, Hendricks revealed through social media that he had "a sexually, verbally, and physically abusive childhood."[15]

Career[]

Hendricks developed an interest in music production at the age of 15, and he began producing after he learned how to sample.[16] Describing his production, Hendricks says "When I was first making beats, no one liked the beats. To this day I give people beats and they're just confused." He says "I started rapping because no one liked my beats." Noting that he started producing before he started rapping, Hendricks said "I'm a producer first kind of, and then a rapper second but I take both of them seriously."[17]

During his military stay in Japan, he was producing and writing music under the name Devon Hendryx.[16] In 2015, he moved to Baltimore, where he began to make music under his moniker JPEGMafia,[18] under which he released his mixtape Communist Slow Jams in April 2015. Only a month later, he released his mixtape Darkskin Manson which was inspired by the Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore that were happening right as he had moved there.[5] Following a number of mixtapes, Hendricks released his debut studio album, Black Ben Carson, in February 2016 via Deathbomb Arc featuring a much harsher, distorted sound than his other projects.[19] Four months later, he released a collaborative EP with fellow Baltimore-based rapper Freaky titled The 2nd Amendment.[20] After less than 3 years living there, Hendricks moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles for his next studio album.[21] In January 2018, he released his second studio album Veteran.[22][23] In an article on Bandcamp,[24] he said "I wanted to show I'm not just a one-trick pony. I always do weird shit. I usually just keep it to myself. This time, I just let the filter go." At the time of its release, Veteran was considered JPEGMafia's most experimental album to date, receiving widespread critical acclaim.[1][25][26][27]

After the release of Veteran, Hendricks started working on his next album. He recorded 93 songs, and whittled it down to 18 tracks.[28] He mixed and mastered it at the end of Vince Staples' tour,[29][30] posting percentage updates frequently on his Instagram.[31] Prior to the release, he would label the project as a "disappointment" in interviews and his social media. The first single from the album, "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot", was released on August 13, 2019.[32] He promoted the album by uploading a series of listening sessions to his YouTube channel where friends and artists such as Denzel Curry, Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) and Hannibal Buress discussed and reacted to cuts off of the album. All My Heroes Are Cornballs was released on September 13, 2019, to further critical acclaim,[33][34] and was his first album to chart. In October 2019, he embarked on the JPEGMafia Type Tour to support his new album.[35][36]

In 2020, Hendricks released several singles across the span of the year, and compiled them into an EP, aptly titled EP!. It was released on Hendricks' Bandcamp page on November 6,[37] and on streaming services with the addition of one extra single on December 10.[38] On February 12, 2021, Hendricks released his second extended play, EP2!. On October 2, Hendricks announced the album LP! , which was released on October 22, 2021, his birthday.

Artistry[]

His music has mostly been described as experimental hip-hop[2][39] but has been said to incorporate a wide range of genres into his music such as trap, R&B, and noise rap.[40]

In an interview with Cambridge Union Hendricks noted that his biggest influence is Kanye West.[41] He states that one of his earliest influences was the rock group Hanson.[41][42] He has also cited Ol' Dirty Bastard, Throbbing Gristle, MF DOOM, Lil B, Chief Keef, Ice Cube, Rick Rubin, Cam'Ron, Björk, Janelle Monáe, Radiohead, The Backstreet Boys and Arca as influences.[43][44][45]

In other media[]

In March 2020, Hendricks started a vlog series on his YouTube channel called HTBAR (How To Build A Relationship).[46] The series feature JPEGMafia talking to other artists and friends about various topics, mostly about music, life and politics. Each episode's soundtrack consist of unreleased songs, demos and instrumentals produced by JPEGMafia.[47] Artists that have featured on the vlog series include Danny Brown, Kenny Beats, Lykke Li, Orville Peck, Saba and more.[48] Hendricks has also appeared on The Cave, a YouTube series created by hip hop producer Kenny Beats.[49]

Hendricks is a fan of professional wrestling, and has incorporated several references to it in his songs.[50] He made an appearance for wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on an episode of their television show AEW Dynamite in September 2020.[51]

Hendricks appeared on the 7th episode of season 5 of The Eric Andre Show, "Named After My Dad's Penis", and competed in the third Rapper Warrior Ninja sketch - a parody of the TV show Sasuke (which aired in the United States of America under the title Ninja Warrior) and its American spin-off American Ninja Warrior. Hendricks competed along with Lil Yachty, Murs, Trippie Redd, and Zack Fox in a challenge to cross a platform while freestyling and dodging various attacks. Hendricks fell off the platform while freestyling and failed.[52]

Personal life[]

Hendricks currently lives in Los Angeles, California.[1]

Discography[]

Main article: JPEGMafia discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

  • The 2nd Amendment (2016) (with Freaky)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Breiham, Tom (February 21, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA Makes Murky Lo-Fi Rap Into Something Exciting". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Gillespie, Blake (August 3, 2016). "Radical Contrarian Rapper JPEGMafia On Gun Ownership, Trump And Flipping Rhetoric On Its Head". Paper. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Corrigan, Graham (March 29, 2018). "Who Is JPEGMAFIA?". Pigeons & Planes. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "Open Space: JPEGMAFIA – Mass Appeal". Mass Appeal. Mass Appeal/YouTube. March 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Burney, Lawrence (November 6, 2015). "JPEGMAFIA: On Channeling Anger, Making Music In Japan & Racial Tension". TrueLaurels. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Salkind, Benj (March 7, 2018). ""I Can Rap About Politics and Make it a Jiggy Song": An Interview with JPEGMAFIA". Passion of the Weiss. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  7. ^ Pigeons & Planes (March 29, 2018), Who Is JPEGMAFIA? | Pigeons and Planes, retrieved August 8, 2018
  8. ^ Herwees, Tasbeeh (May 15, 2018). "Time is ticking for JPEGMAFIA". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Shapiro, Alyssa (August 14, 2018). "One Joint With JPEGMAFIA". One Joint With. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  10. ^ Younger, Briana (April 18, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA is the out-of-pocket rap rebel the world needs right now". The Fader. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  11. ^ "Jpegmafia". Microphone Check. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Younger, Briana (April 18, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA is the out-of-pocket rap rebel the world needs right now". The Fader. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  13. ^ "Jpegmafia". Microphone Check. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  14. ^ "Talib Kweli & JPEGMAFIA Talk Punk/Hip-Hop Connection, Kanye's Politics | People's Party Full Episode". YouTube. March 16, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  15. ^ @darkskinmanson (April 13, 2021). "I wanna tell y'all. my fans I had a sexually verbally and physically abusive childhood that I'll never speak about. But for u. My people I hope u know my acting out is out of real issues and I'm working on it" (Tweet). Retrieved April 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (October 4, 2019). "Radical rapper Jpegmafia: 'Black People have things to be mad about'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  17. ^ JPEGMAFIA | Q&A | Cambridge Union (2/2), retrieved November 10, 2021
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  19. ^ Kramer, Kyle (February 15, 2016). "JPEGMAFIA's New Album 'Black Ben Carson' Is Going to Heal, Inspire, and Revive America". Vice. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
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  21. ^ Younger, Briana. "JPEGMAFIA is the out-of-pocket rap rebel the world needs right now". The Fader. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  22. ^ Renshaw, David (November 12, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA dropped dog tags and PS2-themed merch for Veterans Day". The Fader. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
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  25. ^ Moyer, Matthew (February 14, 2018). "Rapper JPEGMAFIA laughs while the world burns". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  26. ^ Thompson, Paul A. (January 31, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA: Veteran Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  27. ^ Darville, Jordan (February 22, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA rules, and here's proof". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  28. ^ Fu, Eddie. "JPEGMAFIA Says He Recorded 93 Songs For His New Album - Genius". Genius. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  29. ^ Jones, Henry-Bruce (September 13, 2019). "Listen to JPEGMAFIA's new album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs". Fact Magazine. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  30. ^ Schatz, Lake (December 11, 2018). "Vince Staples announces 2019 North American tour". Consequence Of Sound. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
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  36. ^ Klein, Jeremy (August 14, 2019). "JPEGMAFIA hikes five hours to film video for "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot," shares tour dates". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
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  38. ^ "Listen to JPEGMAFIA's new collection EP!". The Fader. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  39. ^ Karakurt, Altug (October 24, 2019). "Rapper JPEGMAFIA to bring genre-bending music to Denver Thursday". Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  40. ^ "Digital Crate Digging: JPEGMAFIA on Anime Soundtracks, Lost Albums, and Rick Rubin". SPIN. September 30, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  41. ^ a b JPEGMAFIA | Interview | Cambridge Union (1/2), retrieved November 10, 2021
  42. ^ Dad Reacts interview JPEGMAFIA, retrieved November 10, 2021
  43. ^ Kimble, Julian (November 5, 2018). "Why ODB Would Be a Star in 2018". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  44. ^ Johnson, James (March 14, 2018). "Edgy rapper JPEGMAFIA won't compromise even as he blows up". Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  45. ^ Weiss, Alexandra (October 30, 2018). "The Politics of Being JPEGMAFIA". Office Magazine. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  46. ^ "A lot of things are bad, but this video of JPEGMAFIA and Orville Peck playing Smash Bros is good". The Fader. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  47. ^ "JPEGMAFIA Shares More New Music With 'How To Build A Relationship' Part 5". Hypebeast. April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  48. ^ "JPEGMAFIA Talks with Kenny Beats on 'HTBAR' Episode 6". Hypebeast. April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  49. ^ Evans, Georgia (April 11, 2020). "A beginner's guide to Kenny Beats – the megastar producer's best collaborations so far". NME. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  50. ^ Griffin, Dominic (February 14, 2018). "JPEGMAFIA returns with "Veteran," a kaleidoscopic look at life under Trump". Baltimore Beat. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  51. ^ Keller, Wade (September 30, 2020). "9/30 AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT: Keller's report on Jericho vs. Kassidy, Moxley vs. Mystery Opponent, Starks vs. Darby, Cody answers challenge". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  52. ^ "UPROXX Jpegmafia, Lil Yachty, And Trippie Redd Compete On 'Rapper Warrior Ninja' For 'The Eric Andre Show'". November 16, 2020.

External links[]

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