I Lay Down My Life for You by JPEGMAFIA | Album Review

Baltimore’s experimental rapper returns with his 5th solo album

Listen to I Lay Down My Life for You: Apple Music | Spotify

Following up on his last release with 2021’s LP!, JPEGMAFIA has dropped his latest album (and his first full-length solo release since going independent) titled I Lay Down My Life for You. The singles preceding the album hinted that “Peggy” was going to take his experimental approach to rap in a more streamlined way. The sonics of “SIN MIEDO” and “don’t rely on other men” were not as avant-garde as his previous songs, with production styles that sounded more palatable to newcomers in my opinion.

That seems to be the notion here on I Lay Down My Life for You, as JPEGMAFIA taps into elements of rock music, fusing it with his experimental rap to create a fairly diverse range of sounds. While lyrically he hasn’t outgrown his usual themes that he’s explored in the past, I Lay Down My Life for You offers some pretty solid tracks and an overall vibe that’ll please longtime fans and introduce newcomers alike.

I’ve always commended JPEG for his eccentric style of production, and with I Lay Down he offers a condensed version of himself. Less focused on wild abrasiveness but rather a controlled chaos if you will. There’s a heavier emphasis on rock samples and live percussions of the sorts throughout the album. They give each song just the right amount of harshness without going completely overboard. The opener “I scream this in the mirror before i interact with anyone” effectively sets the tone for what you’ll expect for the entire duration of the album.

The riffs and guitar solos of songs like “vulgar display of power” add some vibrancy to the tracklist, and they don’t feel out of place on the album at all. We do get some faster, electronic cuts like the drum n bass nuances of “it’s dark and hell is hot”. There’s some inklings to the soulful samples Peggy touched on in last year’s SCARING THE HOES Vol. 1 with “I’ll Be Right There” and welcome surprises such as the orchestral outro of “don’t rely on other men (album)”.

The album’s two notable guest features come in the form of Vince Staples and Denzel Curry. Both of whom have worked with or toured with JPEG in the past, so their inclusion feels quite warranted. They effortlessly match Peggy’s production and make me yearn to hear them tackle obscure beats like this in the future. Vince’s West Coast drawl over the “Senorita” sampling of “New Black History” works quite well. Meanwhile Denzel Curry keeps his normally chaotic energy subdued over the upbeat “JPEGULTRA!”, his inclusion in particular really makes me hope that the two could collab on a joint project in the future.

Lyrically I Lay Down My Life for You follows the same tried and true formula JPEG has done in the past. References to internet memes, the alt-right and his naysayers permeate the album. While its nothing entirely new I’ll admit, JPEG does get some poignant thoughts across the album.

His years long disdain with Drake feels even more relevant than ever, as Peggy takes shots at the rapper on songs like the aforementioned “New Black History”: (“I got that flavor, Jonathan Major paper. Specially when y’all cashing out for PDFs and rapers (No Drizzy)”.). He flexes his craft on “Exmilitary”. throwing shade at ex-friends and seemingly everyone that doubted him, and questions his time arguing with twitter users on “JIHAD JOE”: (“I’m so terminally online, goddamn, I gotta check myself.”).

The album’s high point, and most reflective comes on the final track. “i recovered from this” sees Peggy at his most vulnerable. Over the song’s moody beat, JPEG describes the end of a meaningful relationship and the effect on his mental health. His tone is contemplative, and towards the end lines like: (“I can’t believe that this girl got me breakin’ like this.”) show a sense of maturity not quite heard from him before. A very stellar way to end the album on such a somber note.

Overall, I Lay Down My Life for You was a solid album from start to finish. I believe the emphasis on rock instrumentals was a sound choice as it makes the project palatable enough. The production on here is a bit more vibrant and really shows how JPEGMAFIA has evolved as a producer over the last few years. Easily the highlight out of the whole album in my opinion. While he may not have outgrown his mainstay of lyrical matter, there are a handful of noteworthy moments, and 2 great guest features (among others) that help alleviate that issue.

I’m giving I Lay Down My Life for You a 7.5/8 out of 10. Compared to his past releases, this new album might not be as outlandish, but I think this condensed approach actually works better, and might make this album a good starting point for newcomers to JPEGMAFIA.

Final Rating: 7.5/8 out of 10.

Favourite Tracks: I scream this in the mirror before i interact with anyone, SIN MIEDO, it’s dark and hell is hot, New Black History, JIHAD JOE, i recovered from this.