JPEGMAFIA celebrates birthday; new album at Cat’s Cradle performance
posted by Ford Bowles | November 9, 2021 | In Arts and Culture, NewsAs he came out of the shadows from the side stage, JPEGMAFIA (known as ‘Peggy’ to his fans) received deafening cheers and applause from his most faithful followers. He proceeded to ‘dap’ up many of his fans as they stretched their arms as far as they could towards him, straining and screaming. One fan even offered Peggy to accept what looked like a picture frame or a painting canvas, which he eventually did with glee.
While walking back to his computer to get the show started, faint voices singing to the tune ‘Happy Birthday’ could be heard coming from the back of the venue. In the following seconds, more and more fans started singing the familiar tune, with some people throwing roses, bracelets, and even their own masks at JPEG, seemingly as a sign of their unconventional affection for the artist. The celebratory vibe was indeed in the air at Cat’s Cradle.
However, Peggy didn’t only have his birthday to celebrate that night, as his fourth full-length studio album, LP!, released just a day earlier.
The Brooklyn, New York-native, whose legal name is Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks, has made a name for himself in the alternative/experimental rap and R&B scenes over the years.
Utilizing an abrasive, glitched out sonic style as a backdrop to his lyrical prowess and vocal range has helped JPEG create a unique sound all his own in an often-oversaturated genre of music.
Additionally, his song and album names, from All My Heroes are Cornballs to ‘I Might Vote for Donald Trump,’ have aided him in gaining notoriety in other ways than traditional marketing and large recording contracts. This notoriety has helped him gain a loyal and dedicated fanbase.
Opening in Carrboro that night for JPEG was Detroit’s own Zelooperz, an up-and-comer known for being part of Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade collective. Wearing a perplexing, yet comfy outfit including pink Crocs, Zelooperz brought the passion needed to get the crowd going for the evening. Much of his setlist included songs from his most recent release, 2021’s Van Gogh’s Left Ear.
After a brief intermission, Peggy finally made his appearance. The already high energy in the building went higher whenever he hit the stage. Playing a collection of fan favorites, deep cuts, and new material, his set was not lacking in variety. He used nearly every possible inch of stage room during his set and went so far as to go into the crowd himself and jump around amongst the fans.
Near the middle of his set, he asked that everyone in the venue take a seat on the floor if they could, as he wanted to slow things down a bit for a second, something not even myself (a frequent concert-goer) had seen before.
Once his “cool down” moment passed, it was back to regular programming with more high-octane hits and new material. He left the stage, with some thinking that might be the end of his set for the night, yet soon re-appeared for a final few cuts before his finale.
As his encore performance finished up, he showed a deep sense of gratitude to the fans for making his birthday such a special one, thanking everyone profusely and wished them well and that they get home safe.
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