JPEGMAFIA at the Roundhouse

Performed on the 27th of September, 2023

Review revised 31st of January, 2024

For an artist whose latest collaborative project is called, ‘SCARING THE HOES’, you can pretty well predict the listenership to a tee. Outside of the venue on UNSW grounds, a bizarre cross section between students going about their studies, and fans of a weird internet rapper overlap. In the scheme of artistry, his fans may be fewer than others, but they are rabid for the work that he produces.

Poster advertising the rapper's down under tour. Credit: Frontier Touring.

The shape of the building makes it seem more suitable for fancier functions, perhaps an orchestral performance. However, for an hour in lieu of a support act, a student worked away on entertaining the audience with nostalgic songs on YouTube, ranging from Britney Spears to the original Pokémon theme song. Audience members also made their own entertainment in ways that have become predictable by now, such as holding up Subway Surfers on their phones or swiping on Tinder.

Without a support act to ease into the night, the moment Peggy came on stage people lose their minds. It was as if the destimulation made his appearance all the more exciting. And although his previous album, LP!, was not as popular with fans, minus cuts such as BALD! and HAZARD DUTY PAY!, everyone got around SCARING THE HOES. As soon as the high pitched sample from the start of Lean Beef Patty played, the crowd was crushing. There is no place on earth hotter than a JPEGMAFIA moshpit.

'Lean Beef Patty' single cover.

Peggy is a fantastic performer, putting his soul into his singing cuts especially, as he vocalises on the chorus of ‘Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot’, “You better count your blessings for reaaaaaaallll Amen!! Woo!”. He continued to go throughout the night, by himself, even memorising his counterpart Danny Brown’s verses off the new album, and despite his throat killing him due to illness. With that in mind, it was not his best gig, but it was still cool to see the new material in a live space.

2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Buttermilk Jesus too, with a solo project on the way, as well as assumedly a feature or production credit on Ye and Ty Dollar $ign’s upcoming ‘Vultures’, following a post featuring the two pictured together. Turns out complaining does work sometimes.