JPEGMAFIA reminds MTELUS why he's the greatest doing it

I’m pretty sure it's physically impossible for JPEGMAFIA ever to disappoint me. Currently riding a monumental wave of productivity, the New York rapper has just wrapped up the North American tour for his 3rd album released this decade, I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU. Lucky for us, Peggy’s final stop was here in Montreal, and even with my deep-rooted distaste for MTELUS, it was a show I will brag about for years to come.

One could have guessed what kind of show this would be from a mile away, just from the crowd alone. Jam-packed into the pit was an army of Danny-Brown-merch-toting, loud-speaking, sweat-smelling underground hip-hop fans. I’ve said this before, but once you start going to shows that fall under this specific sub-genre you start to recognize the regulars. What stood out to me about this audience, however, was its pretty remarkable size. While it's fantastic to see Peggy getting the praise and mainstream approval he so obviously deserves, it worried me a little. This is music meant to be enjoyed in a loud, intimate venue, and I wasn’t too sure about how it would land in a crowded, 2300 max-cap theatre. I had little time to consider though, as the second the idea formed in my brain the lights dimmed, and the local opening DJ hit the stage. 

That is if he can even call himself a DJ. Lottery Lucas, with posse in tow, spent 25 minutes playing the first minute and a half of every song on a 2-year-old Rap Caviar bootleg playlist. Waiting until the crowd lost interest in the track entirely before moving on, he jumped from song to song without a single transition, unless you count him yelling “Open that shit up!” 17 times. If you have to force a pit that hard, especially in a crowd known for their drive to mosh to any song possible, maybe DJ’ing is not for you. Thankfully, the opening set came and went, and we were left standing sweaty and clustered for another 20 minutes. 

After drying off sufficiently, the house lights dimmed, and the sound of a distorted lead guitar blared through the speakers. It was then that JPEGMAFIA took to the stage, toting head-to-toe leather and a grin. Peggy has never been one for crowd work, or really much on stage speaking at all, and this show was no exception. As soon as he announced his name, we were thrown into “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot”, and the rest of the night was a complete blur. Peggy’s performance skills are exceptional, especially for someone clad entirely in leather. He exudes raw energy, going bar for bar not only on his own verses, but on his song's features as well. It felt as if he was cleansing himself through his music, pushing raps out as fluidly as one would push air out of their lungs. The audience matched this energy to a tee, screaming every word back at him with full force. This back and forth shifted the concert into a veritable echo chamber, peaking at a point of genuine arson (I’m serious), and that’s exactly what I came for. Filtering through his discography, from his trademark cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” to his Brazilian-funk collab with Dj RaMeMe's “it’s dark in here and hell is hot”, Peggy covered the entire stage with his performance (again, in all leather!) By the time the last thumping bassline faded out, and the house lights shifted back on, I was ready to get the hell out of MTELUS. While the venue is a little too big to have a proper JPEGMAFIA experience, I have yet to meet a person who regretted their ticket, and that’s really all you can ask for. 

Listen to JPEGMAFIA’s newest release, I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, here, and please please vet your DJ’s. 

Sam Kitch is the magazine editor at CJLO 1690AM. He is also the host of I Think You Might Like This, a hip-hop show airing Tuesdays at 2:00 PM.