Def. I think my lack of offspring has prevented that kind of corny charm in me. And that sense of purpose and fulfillment....😢 Nawww just playin I'm good! 😅
I see a militant approach here. With references of religious and political extremism. The biblical references, Jihad Joe (GI Joe), Pantera and metal sounds, dmx, exmilitary, ye association. This is reminiscent of early 90s rap metal artists like Body Count, Rage, Downset, POD, Biohazard etc who had genuine combination of the genres in a militant approach either politically or religiously. But then theres still this avant garde and acoustic introspection involved to give it depth. The last few tracks, in this sense, pull together this inner struggle that is present throughout. Sacrifice, is a major theme in war and religion, "I Lay Down My Life For You" involves the reality of war with its aggressive tone lyrically and musically but then the reality of sacrifice in overcoming the pain and suffering with cathartic moments
I listened to it like 7 times until i was sick of it, I usually do that with albums I really love. I’ll come back to it in a few months and it’ll be fresh.
@@DonovanGG__yeah lol I’m trying to avoid doing that but I can’t stop listening to it. That happened to me with hyperdrama by Justice earlier this year.
AAVA Prof! I'm a big Jpegmafia fan I found you through your video on LP and have been watching ever since. You've shown me so much good music and made me think about art in a deeper way! Also that part about how it's worth it to be a parent made me tear up a little bit
avaa, peggy's strongest work yet. the experimental structuring he's been percolating on since veteran has come full circle here. can't see him making a song akin to rainbow 6 nowadays since he's retreading these same spheres of sound on a new framework of experience. the rawness of veteran really spoke to the energy he had for his art back then but he's now got a real sixth sense for weaving these totally disjointed stems together. feel privileged to have seen that develop as a longtime fan. be real the dg review is on hold since the avant-garde-o-meter doesn't have room for a 6 😳
AVAA! Great review as usual. JPEG has been my favorite for awhile now and this album just confirmed it all. So glad you mentioned the strings! Some of them felt so Radiohead-esque
aava! you absolutely killed this its so refreshing hearing someone talk about peggy with such gravity. one aspect of this record (and jpegmafia generally) that you hadnt spoken on directly is how much peggy paints himself as a character. hes got constant references to andy kaufman especially on older projects. theres something about peggy that feels like hes supposed to be interpreted as performance art and as a character that the real man mr hendricks is playing. theres always been some level of separation between the real guy and jpegmafia but this album really feels like his tipping point (perfect example i wish you had mentioned, him getting so rich and powerful that he can have hair even tho hes been famously bald for years!!). the self reflection and mirror references really feel like him engaging with something hes been engaged with for a long time, this image vs reality idea, but with this album he is having to cope with the image literally physically changing him and his mentality. that is the literal process of him laying down his life for us, the viewers of his spectical. again lovely video tysm
Brazil says hi :) knowing you, your family, and Jpegmafia are appreciative of our music is very cool. He did such a good job with that sample. It’s called “Upa upa pocotó” by DJ RaMeMes!
for the record on the JPEGMAFIA on Brazil, he created a buzz on a shopping mall on Rio de Janeiro. on a sports article shop. and was there with like, meme figures from the internet
I haven't seriously listened to Peggy's work before this album, maybe a couple tracks on scaring the hoes, but goddamn this album was good. I can't get SIN MIEDO out of my head. The only thing I thought it lacked was a lyrical through line, but prof skye proved me wrong per usual. AOTY contender, 9/10
If you haven't/want to give his other albums a try I personally would recommend all my heroes are cornballs. It's my personal favorite and the opener might be one of his best songs ever. It is very different from this album tho.
I actually like all of his albums. I try and put myself back in the headspace of those years to full appreciate them. I’d say give that album a listen but Veteran to me is even still worth revisiting. 1539 N. Calvert is always the perfect intro track for people who think Peggy is weird. Because you get a slight hint of his production tricks there but that beat is still so smooth and danceable.
@@BlackZynfyndel Veteran was my personal favorite for a long time I just feel like he hadn't fully developed as an artist until Cornballs. And look Baby I'm bleeding is still my favorite track he's ever produced. I will also say that personally I prefer the vibe of the Veteran and Cornballs era to some of his newer stuff even though I still fuck with it you know.
AVAA, I think that the only rap act that ever included so many textures is Dalek, the industrial hip-hop group. They had a Collab album with a kraut rock band even.
Listening to the album this morning and every time I think he’s hit his peak, the new album surpasses those expectations. Easily my favorite current artist and can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
AVAA thanks for giving me a footing to get started with JPEGMAFIA, I had been meaning to listen to Scaring the Hoes when it came out but never got round to it, but now I've given this a listen (the first of many for sure) I feel like I know what he's about
Not to put too much on your plate skye, but you gotta go back and review his older albums as jpegmafia, especially veteran. They are bonafide classics now.
thanks for this video skye !! AAVA had to watch this before seeing him live this week ! Also just a general thank you for always creating such engaging content , ur videos videos have gotten me thru hours of uber eats deliveries with no tips 😅
8:53 I partially agree And really love the guitars on this album But the best guitar production on any rap album for me still goes to the opening of “Turned Off” by Death Grips Other then Death Grips I’d recommend: “American Psycho” by Group Therapy “Airborne” by Paris Texas
As for strings “JPEGULTRA!” Is amazing!!! The way the lines flowed kinda reminded me even of “Movement 6” of “Promises” by Floating Points & Pharao Sanders My other string section recommendations would be: “Introvert” by Little Simz (of course) “Sun I Rise” by McKinley Dixon
how jpegmafia incorporates guitar and rock into his music is very similar to how the artist Klein mixes metal with hip hop elements and even orchestral instruments and vocal performances that at first wont read like it makes sense to put together until you hear it and the sounds just coexist and blends into the theme of the album, which is very much a callback to all of her previous works, as it samples tracks from her debut ep's and uses techniques similar to her recent albums of the last few years. Klein is an amazing artist in every sense of the word, her work in film, directing, score production, and her singing (as well as her song featuring in an adult swim ARG bumper that used her track "cry theme" where she sung and it had creepy piano pitches) just goes unnoticed by a lot of people and it would be cool to see a youtube review of her work cause she's my favorite discovery i've made in the art world.
AVAA! Thank you professor for the very acute and thoughtful analysis as always. When I first heard “Sin Miedo” it was too much of a sensory overload, but with your breakdown I come to appreciate the maximalist aspect of this album a lot more. I really adore your observation that the album represents a double movement. On the one hand, musically, the album comes in with high energy and concludes with a rather reserved, quiet resolution. On the other hand, emotionally, it is much more ambiguous, and you suggest that the ending is in fact much stronger than the beginning, since the more maximal and powerful one appears outwardly, the more emptiness and loneliness one is trying to hide away within. To this point, I think the conclusion of this album is simply brilliant in uniting this doubleness, this comedy and tragedy of life. Peggy begins with a heartfelt confession and concludes with the admission that he cannot continue with this. In light of the whole album, this is playing on the maximal-minimal dialectics. He starts with a vulgar display of power and ends with vulnerability. But by confronting the appearance through which he hides his insecurities he gains a self-consciousness that makes him much stronger psychically than the beginning. But within the context of this song alone, is it not beautiful that he refuses to make this confession go on forever? Doubtlessly one can interpret this as his lingering inability to confront his insecurities. But I think that Peggy is doing something very delicate here. He knows that endless self-confession had the danger of eventually turning into a meaningless ritual or, in the worst case, spawning endless guilt. For to completely strip oneself naked of all appearance in front of the mirror and suppose that there is really a true self, unmediated by appearance is itself a fantasy of a posited thing-in-itself (Claiming to know oneself through the mirror always sounds quite auto-opsia. One has to be dead to be able to identify oneself with a reflection completely). Complete minimalism becomes maximalism. I think self-knowledge does not mean that one looks into the mirror and sees oneself without any masks, or proceeds to tear down the masks and expose what is “inside.” Rather, I believe it refers to the moment that one looks at one’s mask and recognize that it is a mask, and although there is nothing underneath the mask, we are also not defined by our mask. Thus, at this precise moment when his rapping stops and cuts out, the background vocals still persists on. For I think the song has transcended a mere self-reflection for JPEGMAFIA himself but has become a surface of reflection for us listeners as well. We are left with the mirror. Are we able to come to know the masks through which we live as well? Can we recover from this ourselves? And speaking of masks, I believe that on the album cover, the face mask that JPEGMAFIA is wearing says “不安な”, which means “anxious” or “insecure.”
AVAA I like that you allowed the framing devices to be somewhat disjointed. It’s fitting to just allow the chaos to exist and express how good it is also apparently Buzzy Lee is Spielberg’s daughter
the first time i listened to this album i listened to it five times straight. quickly becoming my favorite project from peggy as someone who’s been listening since around 2017. great video as always prof ! p.s. definitely spend some more time with veteran. the production on that album blew my mind when i first dug deep into it and still does today
I hear a similarityto Nirvana’s Nevermind in some of the tracks where Peggy lays out a more chill beat while rapping in a more chill manner until he hits the chorus where he goes full throttle with thrashing beats and rapping with all out level 10 energy. It is an amazing contrast for a rap song that is executed perfectly. I’m loving this album. It is very emotional and hits in so many different ways. Great listening experience.
AVAA, first video I’ve watched of yours and sir I apologize for sleeping on you. Your explanations on this video alone shows your appreciation for MUSIC & that is rare to see. Bravo. Will be diving into the rest of your videos when I have downtime. This review didn’t even feel that long.
I had the exact first reception of Exmilitary it just blew my mind, Tearz and After Laughter (Comes Tears) were already tracks I was obsessed with and I never expected anyone to flip that sample in a way anywhere near as great as RZA did and every time it circled back to it I could hardly contain myself. It elevated the entire album for me.
AVAA, professor!! Came here just to comment that Brazil has a HUGE funk scene with many little subgenres and we see its influence in international hip hop all the time and we feel proud to see it out there! Also Brazilian music in general is incredible, anyone should give it a try!
great video. great points. booyah! fantano better release the skyeder cut soon, i feel like you'd be one of the only people on UA-cam really capable of giving a fresh and somewhat believable take on Death Grips lyrics.
AVAA! I would love to hear your verdict on Wand's new album, Vertigo. They are an experimental psychedelic rock band from LA who I think deserve a lot more attention. The tracks on this new record were assembled from extended improvised jams the band recorded in the studio. Lyrics, string/brass sections and other little flourishes were later added in to flesh out these improvisations into distinct songs. Very interesting approach to writing and recording an album. I think you'd love it and you'd also be the first guy to review it on UA-cam! Thank you for always gracing my feed with your fantastic reviews.
It’s crazy how this is the only music I have been listening to for like the past 5 days straight. Hearing it for the first time sitting in my basement was probably the best experience i had with music
This album rules, I’m loving it so much. It seems like it should be the most approachable with just generally less auditory clutter than most of his production
Incredible video, I think I’ve seen this a good 3 times lol. I can’t get over this album. An artist that kind of reminds me of Peggy in unexpected ways is 2hollis, which you should 100% check out if you never have. Incredible artist and also a self produced / mix+master which is always cool
What on earth! Been listening to the album for the last 3 days and haven’t noticed acoustic guitar once 😮 pausing the vid and relistening now before finishing the revie
AVAA super great analysis. Re:death grips, if you were going to analyze a death grips album I highly recommend The Powers That B. They have more popular albums but that album has a particular focus on philosophies of death, mortality, god, purpose, etc. as well as an incredible advanced use of language that I would compare to James Joyce, if not Shakespeare. All things that I think you could shed light on that others might not be able to. Also the whole first disc is covered in Bjork samples. Anyway, keep doing you
AVAA gonna listent to this one while cooking bur profe pls review navy blue's latest album, youll love his lyrics about overclming depression and sobriety, itll be a good album for your gen x dad vibe and its a blind spot in your understanding of the underground hiphop canon
It’s taking me a while to get through the review. Not because it’s bad, just the opposite. I get so excited and have to relisten to the album whenever you talk about a song on the album. An awesome album
AVAA! I’m really glad this is one of your longer analyses on your channel, even without the use of your typical style of framing device your videos are still super insightful and fun to listen to. I just want to point out at 33:50 that name could be referring to 2 people. The deebo you mentioned from basketball which connects with the previous line but also Deebo, the name of a fictional character from the movie Friday who terrorizes Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. He’s an unrelenting bully that no one is able to stand up to, probably trying to insinuate that no one is able to step to his level.
40:00 THANK YOU as a Brazilian I appreciate this statement so much!!! (Also this song was co-produced by a Brazilian DJ too and I think it's really cool)
I wonder if the “lion to lamb” journey is also religious in nature. It seems like the entire album is almost a ride from hell to heaven. Maybe some sort of allegory for addiction to recovery in there as well? Really love this album and your analysis. AVAA
in case you were unaware, the future sample on new black history was also used on an early vince staples hit ''señorita'', i feel like there's some kinda of intentional link there past the obvious but i dont know what it is yet. AVAA!
avaa! this album is easily the most i've been excited for a JPEG release since All My Heroes are Cornballs (which you absolutely NEED to listen to if you haven't). I've been a little worried that he'd started to fall off lyrically post-Cornballs and his antics (Armand Hammer beef, everything he does on twitter, Freddie Gibbs beef, his defensiveness for working with Ye, etc) don't inspire confidence. This album, especially the tail end, gave me hope that we haven't heard his peak yet. It almost feels like he listened to Mr. Morale like 2/3 of the way through making the album lol. I'm excited to see what he does next and if he's willing to stay this reflective and introspective in his future works also this is the second ever album where i realized i NEEDED a physical copy mid-relisten, the first one was Wallsocket
1 John 3:16 is the lay down my life verse but thats not the same as the super popular one in culture that comes from the gospel of John - John 3:16 - "for God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten Son.."
AVAA! I'd watch a marathon of 2 hour videos dissecting the entire death grips catalogue if you made them. There's so many philosophical themes and layers in each one, not to mention the actual sound and production.They have a project where they only use vocals Bjork specifically recorded for them, both as percussive and melodic elements at the same time. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE BJORK VOCAL DRUM SOLO. But, If you ever decide to delve into their work, I'd suggest going chronologically and starting with exmilitary. #releasetheskyedercut
Don’t know you personally but the way you talk about instrumentation and texture, if you listened to literally any Death Grips, I think you would enjoy them . Amazing world to fall into.
Hey prof, AVAA. Besides playing the violin in my high school orchestra, I am also an aspiring hip hop nerd. I can tell you that the strings on this album are so amazing. I am usually very disappointed with string usage in modern music, it doesn’t seem like producers know what to do with strings so they just use them like synth pads. JPEGmafia really uses them in an interesting way taking advantage of their unique tone and ability to harmonize. He also makes really dynamic strings that move a lot and I love it. As for who else uses strings this well I would give a honorable mention to the strings on Mr morale but the best I’ve heard have been on the forever story by jid. Though I would say they are used in completely different ways. The ones on the forever story feel a lot more like a quartet and therefore so much more intimate. The ones on this album are a lot grander and like you said cinematic.
AVAA The song “it’s dark and hell is hot” isn’t a just a sample of brazilian funk, but it was actually produced by DJ RaMeMes, one of the most interesting figures in brazilian funk right now, you should really check his stuff.
AVAA! The way you described the end of New Black History reminds me of the time I heard the end of Guillotine by Death Grips. I'm sure you will have the same feeling about the outro of Guillotine when you eventually get around to analyzing Death Grips.
You are indeed correct, Prof, the 'garbage plate' does NOT sound appetizing. Had it once, it was much better than I thought it would be, so it was in balance.....ok.
24:22 I think the Wu Tang song was called "Tearz". The original sample was "After Laughter" or at least it's the first line. "after laughter comes tears." And I forgot who performed that. I remember playing the life out of 36chambers trying to understand the mysterious lyrics...I guess I should have spent first grade studying the 5 percenters, Nation of Gods and Earths, and dubbed Kung Fu films instead of reading Derrida and watching French Softcore films like most kids in Jersey in 93...🤥
AVAA. I am both frustrated with and excited for you to hear more Peggy because when you're hesitant to say he's the best at drums I know you haven't listened to certain things that no one else is capable of, period.
AVAA. I think that J Dilla belongs in contention for best drum producer, his work was incredible. My favourite beat of his is 'Love Is' from Common's "Be"
AVAA best Peggy album in quite some time. You need to listen to Veteran though, the raw energy he’s able to convey is completely unmatched since, even if his production wasn’t quite on the same level as it is now.
AVAA! Remember, the albums and us will always be here, you don't have to push your life too hard to review albums quick after they come out! And watch out for Ye anyway, he's still got Vultures 2 listening parties on the way, and producers are saying lots of changes are on the way... Good to wait and see
@@aylegs6764 i wonder what his reaction will be to the end of guillotine if he hasn't heard it before, peggy kinda took what happened there a step further on new black history imo
47:00 I'm glad you love this outro! It reminds me a lot of the last 30 seconds of Click by Charli XCX - I would happily deafen myself listening to either of these on repeat if they were a beats on a full standalone song. AAVA!
There is a very clear answer to your question which hip hop producer uses strings this well, and its a name that popped into my head many times while listening to this album: Danger Mouse Listen to DANGERDOOM or his album with Karen O and you'll know what I mean.
Calling Death Grips "The Death Grips" is such wholesome dad energy hahaha
Def. I think my lack of offspring has prevented that kind of corny charm in me. And that sense of purpose and fulfillment....😢
Nawww just playin I'm good! 😅
*Peggy with yet another AOTY contender, every album since Veteran has either been AOTY or a serious contender.*
theres been too many AOTY contenders this year, even just in hiphop
@@-Cocoa- Bro agreed! 2024 is an insane year for music in general.
@@southside6093 can't wait for A$APs Album!
you sleepin on the devon era
Peggy putting Kanye to shame this week
Kanye putting Kanye to shame this week
yeah kanye is doing that to himself
Seriously the production is graduation level. Maybe better.
I see a militant approach here. With references of religious and political extremism. The biblical references, Jihad Joe (GI Joe), Pantera and metal sounds, dmx, exmilitary, ye association. This is reminiscent of early 90s rap metal artists like Body Count, Rage, Downset, POD, Biohazard etc who had genuine combination of the genres in a militant approach either politically or religiously. But then theres still this avant garde and acoustic introspection involved to give it depth. The last few tracks, in this sense, pull together this inner struggle that is present throughout.
Sacrifice, is a major theme in war and religion, "I Lay Down My Life For You" involves the reality of war with its aggressive tone lyrically and musically but then the reality of sacrifice in overcoming the pain and suffering with cathartic moments
Wow. Excellently put 🙌🏾👑🔥 Never really thought about the themes of religion, war and sacrifice as lens to view the album. Thank you🙏🏾❤️
Shows how nuch intentions were truly put in peggy's craft that most people oversight and what makes specific people appreciate him more
Garbage Plate Kids
“The first thing my two year old daughter heard was Roc Marciano and the Alchemist” has me cracking up 🤣, great breakdown prof! AVAA
This is the most exciting album I’ve heard in a while. Rarely will I listen to an album twice in a day and I listened to this 3 times in 24 hours
Same and every time I listen to it I have a new favorite song
I listened to it like 7 times until i was sick of it, I usually do that with albums I really love. I’ll come back to it in a few months and it’ll be fresh.
I thought scaring the hoes was the most exciting. I heard heard 1591 Calvert and hazard duty pay but sth was my true entry and I never looked back
@@DonovanGG__yeah lol I’m trying to avoid doing that but I can’t stop listening to it. That happened to me with hyperdrama by Justice earlier this year.
There's just SO MUCH in it
"Scaring the OV-HOES" goes hard. Ridiculously excited to hear your thoughts Prof!
his daughter lowkey sounds clever as HELL,
..guess that's not much surprise lol
Kenny Segal's guitar production in Hiding Places is my favorite in all of hip hop
Yep, unmatched!
This is a solid shout. Due a relisten
I’ve been playing this on repeat way more than I had expected
Same😭😭😭
This year has been so great for hip-hop and music in general, I feel like I have a new favourite album of year every week or so this summer. AVAA
AAVA Prof! I'm a big Jpegmafia fan I found you through your video on LP and have been watching ever since. You've shown me so much good music and made me think about art in a deeper way! Also that part about how it's worth it to be a parent made me tear up a little bit
avaa, peggy's strongest work yet. the experimental structuring he's been percolating on since veteran has come full circle here. can't see him making a song akin to rainbow 6 nowadays since he's retreading these same spheres of sound on a new framework of experience.
the rawness of veteran really spoke to the energy he had for his art back then but he's now got a real sixth sense for weaving these totally disjointed stems together. feel privileged to have seen that develop as a longtime fan.
be real the dg review is on hold since the avant-garde-o-meter doesn't have room for a 6 😳
Fr if he thinks this album maxes out on the scale what will he think of literally any Death Grips album
He connected the devon hendryx and the jpegmafia
AVAA! Great review as usual. JPEG has been my favorite for awhile now and this album just confirmed it all. So glad you mentioned the strings! Some of them felt so Radiohead-esque
aava!
you absolutely killed this its so refreshing hearing someone talk about peggy with such gravity. one aspect of this record (and jpegmafia generally) that you hadnt spoken on directly is how much peggy paints himself as a character. hes got constant references to andy kaufman especially on older projects. theres something about peggy that feels like hes supposed to be interpreted as performance art and as a character that the real man mr hendricks is playing. theres always been some level of separation between the real guy and jpegmafia but this album really feels like his tipping point (perfect example i wish you had mentioned, him getting so rich and powerful that he can have hair even tho hes been famously bald for years!!). the self reflection and mirror references really feel like him engaging with something hes been engaged with for a long time, this image vs reality idea, but with this album he is having to cope with the image literally physically changing him and his mentality. that is the literal process of him laying down his life for us, the viewers of his spectical.
again lovely video tysm
Excited to see how you incorporate garbage plates
OMG, how did you know?!
@@bugrasevinc9696its on the thumbnail
Brazil says hi :) knowing you, your family, and Jpegmafia are appreciative of our music is very cool. He did such a good job with that sample. It’s called “Upa upa pocotó” by DJ RaMeMes!
for the record on the JPEGMAFIA on Brazil, he created a buzz on a shopping mall on Rio de Janeiro. on a sports article shop. and was there with like, meme figures from the internet
I cant wait for the death grips review, MC Ride is one of the most interesting characters in hip hop and i would love to hear you analysis of them
He said he is waiting until fantano drops a video they recorded years ago
he should just give Skye the rights to that video
I haven't seriously listened to Peggy's work before this album, maybe a couple tracks on scaring the hoes, but goddamn this album was good. I can't get SIN MIEDO out of my head. The only thing I thought it lacked was a lyrical through line, but prof skye proved me wrong per usual. AOTY contender, 9/10
If you haven't/want to give his other albums a try I personally would recommend all my heroes are cornballs. It's my personal favorite and the opener might be one of his best songs ever. It is very different from this album tho.
Listen to All my heroes are cornballs. It’s perfect.
gonna listen to all my heroes are cornballs. nev3r tried it.
I actually like all of his albums. I try and put myself back in the headspace of those years to full appreciate them. I’d say give that album a listen but Veteran to me is even still worth revisiting. 1539 N. Calvert is always the perfect intro track for people who think Peggy is weird. Because you get a slight hint of his production tricks there but that beat is still so smooth and danceable.
@@BlackZynfyndel Veteran was my personal favorite for a long time I just feel like he hadn't fully developed as an artist until Cornballs. And look Baby I'm bleeding is still my favorite track he's ever produced. I will also say that personally I prefer the vibe of the Veteran and Cornballs era to some of his newer stuff even though I still fuck with it you know.
The beat at the end of the song with vince staples is by Flume btw.
59:13 AI is at its best when it is merely a tool for human creativity, not a replacement. AVAA!
AVAA, I think that the only rap act that ever included so many textures is Dalek, the industrial hip-hop group. They had a Collab album with a kraut rock band even.
AVAA i audibly screamed yes upon seeing this review i have been anticipating your reflection on this new age masterpiece
Listening to the album this morning and every time I think he’s hit his peak, the new album surpasses those expectations. Easily my favorite current artist and can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
AVAA thanks for giving me a footing to get started with JPEGMAFIA, I had been meaning to listen to Scaring the Hoes when it came out but never got round to it, but now I've given this a listen (the first of many for sure) I feel like I know what he's about
congratulations and good luck with the kid, man. love hearing people just appreciating music and trying to turn feelings into words. much appreciated
AVAA Definitely check out veteran and cornballs, theyre both incredible.
New head canon: After Laughter by Paramore is a Wu-Tang reference.
pretty sure he just meant tearz by wu tang
Not to put too much on your plate skye, but you gotta go back and review his older albums as jpegmafia, especially veteran. They are bonafide classics now.
ghost pop tape video soon omggggg
avaa! Awesome discussion. I've heard most of mr mafias music and I think he is at the top of his game with this LP
happy to hear “i serve the base” mentioned, loved that song in middle school and it’s one of futures most intense songs
thanks for this video skye !! AAVA had to watch this before seeing him live this week ! Also just a general thank you for always creating such engaging content , ur videos videos have gotten me thru hours of uber eats deliveries with no tips 😅
8:53
I partially agree
And really love the guitars on this album
But the best guitar production on any rap album for me still goes to the opening of “Turned Off” by Death Grips
Other then Death Grips
I’d recommend:
“American Psycho” by Group Therapy
“Airborne” by Paris Texas
As for strings
“JPEGULTRA!” Is amazing!!!
The way the lines flowed kinda reminded me even of “Movement 6” of “Promises” by Floating Points & Pharao Sanders
My other string section recommendations would be:
“Introvert” by Little Simz (of course)
“Sun I Rise” by McKinley Dixon
24:01
I’m to predictable I guess 😭
how jpegmafia incorporates guitar and rock into his music is very similar to how the artist Klein mixes metal with hip hop elements and even orchestral instruments and vocal performances that at first wont read like it makes sense to put together until you hear it and the sounds just coexist and blends into the theme of the album, which is very much a callback to all of her previous works, as it samples tracks from her debut ep's and uses techniques similar to her recent albums of the last few years. Klein is an amazing artist in every sense of the word, her work in film, directing, score production, and her singing (as well as her song featuring in an adult swim ARG bumper that used her track "cry theme" where she sung and it had creepy piano pitches) just goes unnoticed by a lot of people and it would be cool to see a youtube review of her work cause she's my favorite discovery i've made in the art world.
Came here after the Fantano review and I ain’t never going back. Is the what an actual review is supposed to be?
I’ve been fiending for a professor Skye analysis of this album
AVAA!
Thank you professor for the very acute and thoughtful analysis as always. When I first heard “Sin Miedo” it was too much of a sensory overload, but with your breakdown I come to appreciate the maximalist aspect of this album a lot more.
I really adore your observation that the album represents a double movement. On the one hand, musically, the album comes in with high energy and concludes with a rather reserved, quiet resolution. On the other hand, emotionally, it is much more ambiguous, and you suggest that the ending is in fact much stronger than the beginning, since the more maximal and powerful one appears outwardly, the more emptiness and loneliness one is trying to hide away within.
To this point, I think the conclusion of this album is simply brilliant in uniting this doubleness, this comedy and tragedy of life. Peggy begins with a heartfelt confession and concludes with the admission that he cannot continue with this. In light of the whole album, this is playing on the maximal-minimal dialectics. He starts with a vulgar display of power and ends with vulnerability. But by confronting the appearance through which he hides his insecurities he gains a self-consciousness that makes him much stronger psychically than the beginning. But within the context of this song alone, is it not beautiful that he refuses to make this confession go on forever? Doubtlessly one can interpret this as his lingering inability to confront his insecurities. But I think that Peggy is doing something very delicate here. He knows that endless self-confession had the danger of eventually turning into a meaningless ritual or, in the worst case, spawning endless guilt. For to completely strip oneself naked of all appearance in front of the mirror and suppose that there is really a true self, unmediated by appearance is itself a fantasy of a posited thing-in-itself (Claiming to know oneself through the mirror always sounds quite auto-opsia. One has to be dead to be able to identify oneself with a reflection completely). Complete minimalism becomes maximalism. I think self-knowledge does not mean that one looks into the mirror and sees oneself without any masks, or proceeds to tear down the masks and expose what is “inside.” Rather, I believe it refers to the moment that one looks at one’s mask and recognize that it is a mask, and although there is nothing underneath the mask, we are also not defined by our mask.
Thus, at this precise moment when his rapping stops and cuts out, the background vocals still persists on. For I think the song has transcended a mere self-reflection for JPEGMAFIA himself but has become a surface of reflection for us listeners as well. We are left with the mirror. Are we able to come to know the masks through which we live as well? Can we recover from this ourselves?
And speaking of masks, I believe that on the album cover, the face mask that JPEGMAFIA is wearing says “不安な”, which means “anxious” or “insecure.”
the XXXTENTACIÓN bit made me bring out my tinfoil hat, charlie day board: wasn't his death attributed to aubrey? AVAA
AVAA I like that you allowed the framing devices to be somewhat disjointed. It’s fitting to just allow the chaos to exist and express how good it is
also apparently Buzzy Lee is Spielberg’s daughter
The Future sample on New Black History with Vince was the same sample Vince used on Señorita*
It was Senorita, but you got the idea.
Love the intro, it makes it sounds like Senorita 2
Until now Scrapyard has been my AOTY uncontested. This is challenging that. AVAA
Scrapyard vinyl unboxing dropping soon during paternity vacation
AVAA prof! I felt like peggy's string arrangements felt very johnny greenwood-esque. So ethereal and stirring and emotional!
the first time i listened to this album i listened to it five times straight. quickly becoming my favorite project from peggy as someone who’s been listening since around 2017. great video as always prof !
p.s. definitely spend some more time with veteran. the production on that album blew my mind when i first dug deep into it and still does today
I hear a similarityto Nirvana’s Nevermind in some of the tracks where Peggy lays out a more chill beat while rapping in a more chill manner until he hits the chorus where he goes full throttle with thrashing beats and rapping with all out level 10 energy. It is an amazing contrast for a rap song that is executed perfectly. I’m loving this album. It is very emotional and hits in so many different ways. Great listening experience.
AVAA, first video I’ve watched of yours and sir I apologize for sleeping on you.
Your explanations on this video alone shows your appreciation for MUSIC & that is rare to see.
Bravo.
Will be diving into the rest of your videos when I have downtime. This review didn’t even feel that long.
I had the exact first reception of Exmilitary it just blew my mind, Tearz and After Laughter (Comes Tears) were already tracks I was obsessed with and I never expected anyone to flip that sample in a way anywhere near as great as RZA did and every time it circled back to it I could hardly contain myself. It elevated the entire album for me.
AVAA, professor!! Came here just to comment that Brazil has a HUGE funk scene with many little subgenres and we see its influence in international hip hop all the time and we feel proud to see it out there! Also Brazilian music in general is incredible, anyone should give it a try!
great video. great points. booyah!
fantano better release the skyeder cut soon, i feel like you'd be one of the only people on UA-cam really capable of giving a fresh and somewhat believable take on Death Grips lyrics.
AVAA! I would love to hear your verdict on Wand's new album, Vertigo. They are an experimental psychedelic rock band from LA who I think deserve a lot more attention. The tracks on this new record were assembled from extended improvised jams the band recorded in the studio. Lyrics, string/brass sections and other little flourishes were later added in to flesh out these improvisations into distinct songs. Very interesting approach to writing and recording an album. I think you'd love it and you'd also be the first guy to review it on UA-cam! Thank you for always gracing my feed with your fantastic reviews.
Thank you for reviewing this prof sky!
AVAA, this is a masterpiece, my aoty so far and its gonna be hard to take it off that spot
It’s crazy how this is the only music I have been listening to for like the past 5 days straight. Hearing it for the first time sitting in my basement was probably the best experience i had with music
This album rules, I’m loving it so much. It seems like it should be the most approachable with just generally less auditory clutter than most of his production
Incredible video, I think I’ve seen this a good 3 times lol. I can’t get over this album. An artist that kind of reminds me of Peggy in unexpected ways is 2hollis, which you should 100% check out if you never have. Incredible artist and also a self produced / mix+master which is always cool
AVAA; great analysis of the album cover, never saw it that way. Don't miss Navy Blue's soul massaging lyricism on his new Memoirs In Armour.
What on earth! Been listening to the album for the last 3 days and haven’t noticed acoustic guitar once 😮 pausing the vid and relistening now before finishing the revie
Did you find it?
I’m really glad you pointed out the acoustic guitar, I hadn’t thought about it much. AVAA Professor!
AVAA, this album is so incredible that i bought tickets for his tour after the 2nd listen. What more needs to be said
AVAA super great analysis. Re:death grips, if you were going to analyze a death grips album I highly recommend The Powers That B. They have more popular albums but that album has a particular focus on philosophies of death, mortality, god, purpose, etc. as well as an incredible advanced use of language that I would compare to James Joyce, if not Shakespeare. All things that I think you could shed light on that others might not be able to. Also the whole first disc is covered in Bjork samples. Anyway, keep doing you
AVAA gonna listent to this one while cooking bur profe pls review navy blue's latest album, youll love his lyrics about overclming depression and sobriety, itll be a good album for your gen x dad vibe and its a blind spot in your understanding of the underground hiphop canon
It’s taking me a while to get through the review. Not because it’s bad, just the opposite. I get so excited and have to relisten to the album whenever you talk about a song on the album. An awesome album
you thinking WuTang was a Chinese collective made me laugh
subbed
"I am in dirty sprite town" I'm not gonna forget this, fantastic review
AVAA!
I’m really glad this is one of your longer analyses on your channel, even without the use of your typical style of framing device your videos are still super insightful and fun to listen to.
I just want to point out at 33:50 that name could be referring to 2 people. The deebo you mentioned from basketball which connects with the previous line but also Deebo, the name of a fictional character from the movie Friday who terrorizes Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. He’s an unrelenting bully that no one is able to stand up to, probably trying to insinuate that no one is able to step to his level.
40:00 THANK YOU as a Brazilian I appreciate this statement so much!!!
(Also this song was co-produced by a Brazilian DJ too and I think it's really cool)
Also im super stoked to listen to your thoughts on vultures 2
I wonder if the “lion to lamb” journey is also religious in nature. It seems like the entire album is almost a ride from hell to heaven. Maybe some sort of allegory for addiction to recovery in there as well? Really love this album and your analysis. AVAA
in case you were unaware, the future sample on new black history was also used on an early vince staples hit ''señorita'', i feel like there's some kinda of intentional link there past the obvious but i dont know what it is yet. AVAA!
avaa! this album is easily the most i've been excited for a JPEG release since All My Heroes are Cornballs (which you absolutely NEED to listen to if you haven't). I've been a little worried that he'd started to fall off lyrically post-Cornballs and his antics (Armand Hammer beef, everything he does on twitter, Freddie Gibbs beef, his defensiveness for working with Ye, etc) don't inspire confidence. This album, especially the tail end, gave me hope that we haven't heard his peak yet. It almost feels like he listened to Mr. Morale like 2/3 of the way through making the album lol. I'm excited to see what he does next and if he's willing to stay this reflective and introspective in his future works
also this is the second ever album where i realized i NEEDED a physical copy mid-relisten, the first one was Wallsocket
1 John 3:16 is the lay down my life verse but thats not the same as the super popular one in culture that comes from the gospel of John - John 3:16 - "for God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten Son.."
literally in rochester new york on vacation!! had no idea you lived here!! i just started watching you and i love the content
You know its a good one if it has all the fans split. Avaa i always appreciate JaMargaret videos
I see a skye video, I hit the like button immediately, even if I dont watch it all now. I dont need to watch it, I already know its fire.
AVAA! I'd watch a marathon of 2 hour videos dissecting the entire death grips catalogue if you made them. There's so many philosophical themes and layers in each one, not to mention the actual sound and production.They have a project where they only use vocals Bjork specifically recorded for them, both as percussive and melodic elements at the same time. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE BJORK VOCAL DRUM SOLO. But, If you ever decide to delve into their work, I'd suggest going chronologically and starting with exmilitary. #releasetheskyedercut
Don’t know you personally but the way you talk about instrumentation and texture, if you listened to literally any Death Grips, I think you would enjoy them . Amazing world to fall into.
Hey prof, AVAA. Besides playing the violin in my high school orchestra, I am also an aspiring hip hop nerd. I can tell you that the strings on this album are so amazing. I am usually very disappointed with string usage in modern music, it doesn’t seem like producers know what to do with strings so they just use them like synth pads. JPEGmafia really uses them in an interesting way taking advantage of their unique tone and ability to harmonize. He also makes really dynamic strings that move a lot and I love it. As for who else uses strings this well I would give a honorable mention to the strings on Mr morale but the best I’ve heard have been on the forever story by jid. Though I would say they are used in completely different ways. The ones on the forever story feel a lot more like a quartet and therefore so much more intimate. The ones on this album are a lot grander and like you said cinematic.
Nick Tahou’s s/o & comparison! Perfect!! AVAA
AVAA
The song “it’s dark and hell is hot” isn’t a just a sample of brazilian funk, but it was actually produced by DJ RaMeMes, one of the most interesting figures in brazilian funk right now, you should really check his stuff.
AVAA !! I loved either on or off the drugs, been on repeat since release
AVAA! The way you described the end of New Black History reminds me of the time I heard the end of Guillotine by Death Grips. I'm sure you will have the same feeling about the outro of Guillotine when you eventually get around to analyzing Death Grips.
You are indeed correct, Prof, the 'garbage plate' does NOT sound appetizing. Had it once, it was much better than I thought it would be, so it was in balance.....ok.
you should listen to Navy Blue! his albums are spiritual, i'd like to hear your thoughts.
Imma call you profski
Gorns on gorns on gorns on gorns
24:22 I think the Wu Tang song was called "Tearz". The original sample was "After Laughter" or at least it's the first line. "after laughter comes tears." And I forgot who performed that.
I remember playing the life out of 36chambers trying to understand the mysterious lyrics...I guess I should have spent first grade studying the 5 percenters, Nation of Gods and Earths, and dubbed Kung Fu films instead of reading Derrida and watching French Softcore films like most kids in Jersey in 93...🤥
AVAA. I am both frustrated with and excited for you to hear more Peggy because when you're hesitant to say he's the best at drums I know you haven't listened to certain things that no one else is capable of, period.
Aaah, just realized " man purse," and " does this ski mask make me look fat?" Aren't on any albums.
He also has the albums " communists slow jams," and " black bean Carson " and blah blah. Blah.
AVAA. I think that J Dilla belongs in contention for best drum producer, his work was incredible. My favourite beat of his is 'Love Is' from Common's "Be"
really love rxk nephews “slitherman solo set” for heavy guitar in rap, we need way more of that tho
AVAA best Peggy album in quite some time. You need to listen to Veteran though, the raw energy he’s able to convey is completely unmatched since, even if his production wasn’t quite on the same level as it is now.
AVAA! Remember, the albums and us will always be here, you don't have to push your life too hard to review albums quick after they come out! And watch out for Ye anyway, he's still got Vultures 2 listening parties on the way, and producers are saying lots of changes are on the way... Good to wait and see
20 minutes in… this guy gets it.
Love you Skye but I can’t watch a review that’s longer than the album itself
"release the Skye-der cut" AAVA
Death Grips can be in contention with peggy for best use of guitars, thier last 3 albums have a lot of guitars and rock.
The powers that B especially
Oops just got to the part where he talks about death grips lol
@@aylegs6764 i wonder what his reaction will be to the end of guillotine if he hasn't heard it before, peggy kinda took what happened there a step further on new black history imo
@liamobrien60 Yeah this would be THE album to do a guitar study on
47:00 I'm glad you love this outro! It reminds me a lot of the last 30 seconds of Click by Charli XCX - I would happily deafen myself listening to either of these on repeat if they were a beats on a full standalone song. AAVA!
You mentioned DJ Shadow and I’m sad to see you don’t have a Endtroducing review. If it makes sense for you to talk about it that’ll be a great watch
I did review his last album
@@professorskye Added it to watch later 💪🏻
Bro pulled out the Brat guitar
There is a very clear answer to your question which hip hop producer uses strings this well, and its a name that popped into my head many times while listening to this album: Danger Mouse
Listen to DANGERDOOM or his album with Karen O and you'll know what I mean.