LP!
studio
ArtistJPEGMafia
CoverJpegmafia LP!.jpg
ReleasedOctober 22, 2021
Recorded2019–2021
StudioJPEGMafia's home studio
GenreAvant-garde rap[1][2]
Length49:02 (Online)
56:50 (Offline)
Label
Producer
Prev year2019
Next year2023

LP! is the fourth studio album by American rapper JPEGMafia. Released on October 22, 2021, his 32nd birthday, LP! is JPEGMafia's final studio album released with Republic Records and EQT Recordings.[3] LP! has two versions: an "online" version which was the version released on streaming services, and an "offline" version which was released on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp, featuring a slightly different tracklist due to sample-related issues. The album includes guest appearances from DatPiffMafia, Kimbra, Tkay Maidza, and Denzel Curry (online version only).

Upon release, LP! received acclaim among music critics and publications, with some critics naming the "offline" version of the album as one of JPEGMafia's best albums.

Background

On September 13, 2019, JPEGMafia released his third studio album All My Heroes Are Cornballs to widespread critical acclaim from music critics,[4] and ventured on the JPEGMafia Type Tour to support the album.[5] On February 20, 2020, he released "Bald!" as a single with an accompanying music video.[6] On May 5, 2020, a remix version of the album was released with an accompanying music video featuring rapper Denzel Curry, who previously collaborated on "Vengeance" from the latter's 2018 studio album Ta13oo.[7] Nineteen days later, JPEGMafia released "Cutie Pie!" with an accompanying music video.[8]

After months of silence, JPEGMafia released the extended play EP! to streaming services with no prior announcement on December 10, 2020, with nine songs in its track list, including its three previous singles.[9] In an interview with Zack Lowe, JPEGMafia discussed his plans for the following year, explaining that he carefully considers his actions in advance and had already begun working on new material.[9] He noted that, although he had not released a project that year, he intended to be very active in 2021.[9] On February 21, 2021, he released EP2!, with seven songs in its track list.[10]

Promotion

On August 31, 2021, JPEGMafia released "Trust!" to streaming services and announced his upcoming fourth studio album and tour.[11] The tour took place throughout October and December 2021 on its North American leg, and throughout March and April on its European leg.[11]

Release

LP! was released as two separate versions, being the "online" and "offline" versions. This was done due to issues regarding sample clearances with multiple songs planned for the album, most notably "Hazard Duty Pay!".[12][13] The "offline" version is how JPEGMafia had intended to release the album, with multiple cuts and changes being made for the "online" streaming version.[12][14] In an interview with Office Magazine, JPEGMafia gave his reasoning behind releasing the "offline" version of LP!:

I was like, even if I can't clear this, I wanted people to hear it.... I just didn't want people to think that the version of streaming was my fully formed like vision, because my personal vision would not be to put three songs in there, that were already out. My full vision was the offline one. So for the hardcore fans, they can listen to that if they want. And the version online is comparable, but like the if you want to see the true one, you know what I mean, just for the nerds, it's there. It’s out there if you want to go get it.[14]

Reissues

On December 22, 2022, JPEGMafia released a remaster of the "offline" version on vinyl, CD, and USB stick. This version came with new cover art, a lyric book, and instrumentals for each song.[15] This version was released to streaming platforms on May 23, 2023.

Reception

LP! received critical acclaim. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, LP! received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from five critic scores.[16]

Robin Murray of Clash praises the album and considers it "even by his own standards, emphatically broad. 18 tracks with nary a second wasted, his intense, finessed approach to creativity seizes upon each idea, pushes it to the very outermost, and then moves on."[17]

My fans seem to really like it and as long as they like it, I’m satisfied. Everything els is a bonus. Because when I released EP2!, they didn’t really like that too much. So I felt terrible. I don’t really care what anybody else said about it. But this one, they seem to be enjoying it. I think they expected me to be on cruise control but it’s just like, I don’t even know what that is. If I’m working on something, I’m going to put my whole everything into it, and this is the best I could do, in one of the worst periods of time in my life, mentally. So I’m just glad that they like it.

– JPEGMafia, regarding fan reception.[18]

Track listing

All tracks written, produced, mixed, and mastered by JPEGMAFIA, except "Nemo!", produced by JPEGMAFIA and Buzzy Lee.

Notes

  • All track names are stylized in uppercase.
  • On the offline version, the following things are different from the online release on streaming services:
    • "Bald!", "Bald! Remix" and "Cutie Pie!" are excluded from the track listing.
    • "Hazard Duty Pay!", "God Don't Like Ugly!", "💯", "Dikembe!", "Untitled" are added to the track listing.
    • "Kissy Face Emoji!" is listed as "🔥", "What Kind of Rappin' Is This?" is listed as "What Kinda Rappin' Is This?", and "Sick, Nervous & Broke!" is listed as "Tired, Nervous & Broke!".
    • "End Credits!" has been sped up, changing its length from 1:55 to 1:47.
    • "What Kinda Rappin' Is This?" has been extended, changing its length from 1:52 to 3:08.
  • "End Credits!" contains a sample of retired professional wrestler Arn Anderson cutting a promo on Cody Rhodes during an episode of AEW Dynamite on September 29, 2021.[19]
  • "Thot's Prayer" contains an interpolation of "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears.[20]
  • On SoundCloud, the following songs have been extended or shortened:
    • "Dirty!" has been shortened, changing its length from 2:07 to 2:03.
    • "Tired, Nervous & Broke!" has been extended, changing its length from 5:36 to 6:15.
    • "Kissy Face Emoji!" has been shortened, changing its length from 3:19 to 3:16.
    • "Dam! Dam! Dam!" has been shortened, changing its length from 3:33 to 3:28.
  • On the Bandcamp and SoundCloud version of Offline!, "100 Emoji!" has been extended to 2:34.

Offline!

The tracks included on the "offline" version were officially added to streaming services in the form of an EP, titled Offline! on February 24, 2022.[21] As of June 2023, the EP's title has been changed to Offline to distinguish it from the "offline" version of the album, as its official streaming upload uses the exclamation mark.[22]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by JPEGMafia.

Notes

  • "💯" is listed as "100 Emoji!"

Personnel

Credits adapted from the digital booklet.[23]

  • JPEGMafia – production, songwriting, mixing, mastering (all tracks), piano ("Tired, Nervous & Broke!")
  • DatPiffMafia – featured vocals, songwriting ("Rebound!")
  • Tkay Maidza – featured vocals, songwriting ("The Ghost of Ranking Dread!")
  • Denzel Curry – featured vocals, songwriting ("Bald! Remix")
  • Alex Goose – sample replay ("Hazard Duty Pay!")
  • Buzzy Lee – additional production ("Nemo!")
  • Kimbra – additional vocals ("Tired, Nervous & Broke!")

Charts

2021 chart performance for LP!
Chart (2021)Peak
position
2024 chart performance for LP!
Chart (2024)Peak
position
UK Independent Albums Breakers (OCC)[24]17
UK Record Store (OCC)[25]35

References

  1. ^ Boev, Martin (October 28, 2021). "LP! proves to be JPEGMafia's most experimental, eclectic and detailed album to date". InSeachofMedia. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  2. ^ Bruce, Lucas (October 22, 2021). "JPEGMafia Releases His Highly Experimental Fourth Project LP! Featuring Denzel Curry". Respect My Region. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  3. ^ "JPEGMAFIA's new album LP! to be released this week". NME. 2021-10-18. Archived October 20, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  4. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (August 28, 2019). "JPEGMAFIA announces new album All My Heroes Are Cornballs". The Fader. Archived September 14, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Klein, Jeremy (August 14, 2019). "JPEGMAFIA hikes five hours to film video for "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot," shares tour dates". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived August 14, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  6. ^ Rettig, James (2020-02-20). "JPEGMAFIA Shares New Track "BALD!": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  7. ^ Richards, Will (2020-05-06). "JPEGMAFIA recruits Denzel Curry for thunderous new 'BALD!' remix". NME. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  8. ^ Strauss, Matthew (2020-05-25). "Watch JPEGMAFIA's Video for New Song “CUTIE PIE!”". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  9. ^ Caraan, Sophie (2020-12-11). "JPEGMAFIA Compiles Fan Favorites on New Project 'EP!'". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  10. ^ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & & Murray, Robin (2021-02-12). "JPEGMAFIA - EP2!". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  11. ^ "JPEGMAFIA announces new album and world tour". DIY Magazine. 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  12. ^ "JPEGMAFIA's New Album Has "Online" and "Offline" Versions │ Exclaim!". JPEGMAFIA's New Album Has "Online" and "Offline" Versions │ Exclaim!. Archived March 1, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  13. ^ "JPEGMAFIA Releases New Album 'LP!': Stream". Stereogum. 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  14. ^ "Breaking Down JPEGMafia's "LP!"". Office Magazine. 2021-11-01. Archived June 12, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  15. ^ "LP! Offline Remastered + Instrumentals 4XLP". jpegmafiamerch. Archived March 30, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  16. ^ "LP! by JPEGMAFIA", archived November 29, 2021 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2025-05-26
  17. ^ Murray, Robin (October 22, 2021). "JPEGmafia - LP!". Archived October 23, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  18. ^ "JPEGMAFIA LP new album Brooklyn Steel Interview | Hypebeast". February 21, 2022. Archived June 1, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  19. ^ Thomas, Jeremy. "Arn Anderson's 'Glock' Promo Sampled For JPEGMAFIA Track". 411Mania. Archived January 1, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  20. ^ "LP!, by JPEGMAFIA". JPEGMAFIA. Archived May 26, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  21. ^ "Offline! - EP by JPEGMAFIA on Apple Music", 2022-02-24, archived May 26, 2025 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2025-05-26
  22. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  23. ^ JPEGMAFIA. "LP! Lyrics & Credits". Twitter. Archived October 27, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Archived May 3, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  25. ^ "Official Record Store Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Archived May 3, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 3, 2024.