JPEGMAFIA - 'War Over Land'
JPEGMAFIA turns chaos into cinema on “War Over Land”.
JPEGMAFIA has taken time out of his beef with Odd Future alumni Earl Sweatshirt to drop the second single from his forthcoming album EXPERIMENTAL RAP, called “War Over Land”. The first single, “babygirl”, announced the project last week as a chaotic fusion of rap, rock and punk that channelled the tension of modern culture. Its follow-up couldn’t be more different.
The track opens with an atmospheric piano, a stark contrast to the heavily experimental “babygirl”. Then an electric guitar enters the frame, and suddenly it almost feels like we’ve arrived at the scene of a car crash after it’s already happened. Thirty seconds in, Peggy comes in rapping, and in typical JPEGMAFIA form, throws out an eclectic mix of shoutouts to different Michaels. It’s an understated, cinematic opening that sits in line with the track’s broader themes: the human cost of conflict and the emptiness of modern clout culture.
A softer guitar helps soundtrack a profound second verse, with beautiful strings lacing and building the instrumental, ostensibly swelling towards something great. There are some sharp one-liners here, “giving out C-sections, you get a D for effort” among the best of them. The lyricism cuts through the usual internet posturing and lands somewhere more considered, dealing in real-world consequences rather than noise.
Then, before you know it, a choir comes crashing in alongside thrashing cymbals. It’s an accumulation of everything that’s been quietly building, the track bursting into new life in what feels like a metamorphosis all within the space of three minutes. Am accompanying one-take music video captures these themes through a single unbroken shot, and it works.
The one caveat is the ending, which feels abrupt. Peggy has never been one for extended tracks, but even by his standards this outro feels unnecessary. With that said, the bulk of “War Over Land” is solid, and it makes for another strong taster for EXPERIMENTAL RAP, out May 21st. As a singular visionary who writes, produces and mixes his own material, JPEGMAFIA continues to command his place at the forefront of experimental rap, and this single is a further reminder of why.
Words by Alex Peters
