Review: JPEGMAFIA at Metropolis Fremantle
JPEGMAFIA at Metropolis Fremantle
Saturday, March 8, 2025
In his first ever Perth solo show, JPEGMAFIA delivered an electrifying and raw performance in front of a sold-out crowd at Metropolis Fremantle. Known as Peggy to his fans, the Brooklyn-born rapper wove fan favourites around his latest release, I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, in a two-hour set that not only showcased his lyrical talent and production expertise but also his ability to light up a crowd with his chaotic energy and charismatic on-stage presence.
Performing without any support acts, Peggy commanded attention from the moment he hit the stage, setting the tone for the night with the Reddit-speak-laden Jesus Forgive Me, I’m a Thot as the opener. Advising the crowd that he was a man of few words, the rapper ducked in and out of view amidst a sea of dry ice as he made his way across the front of the stage, sending the mosh into a heaving frenzy with assistance from early standouts Hazard Duty Pay! and BALD!
Providing the pit a brief respite, JPEG’s acapella take on Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe highlighted the wry humour implicit in his output, before his declaration that his “favourite time of the set is when I’m scaring the hoes” signalled a return of energy to performance via a showcase of cuts from his collaboration with Danny Brown of the same name. Matching JPEG’s energy, the crowd moved and sung along with each track, with the intimate venue allowing for a symbiotic connection to emerge.
Whether his experimental stylings are still off-putting to the female persuasion as the collab’s title implies, the presence of two female associates on stage provided the crowd a clue. Sitting like competition winners that were promised seats at the gig, the duo remained unmoving throughout the performance, watching on as JPEG prowled the stage to deliver his vocals. The symbolic impact of the two mirrored JPEG’s artistic energy; on the surface, their inclusion on stage seemed odd, but a deeper dive offers a multitude of potential meanings, from Peggy’s rejection of the dominant masculine culture of hip hop to his inversion of the stereotypical roles offered to females at hip hop shows.
Musically, JPEGMAFIA’s schism with the hip hop mainstream is encapsulated by his track WHAT KINDA RAPPIN’ IS THIS?, which he dropped mid-set to the delight of the crowd, while the considered lyrics of Exmilitary proved the most directly vulnerable moment of the night. Elsewhere, the ragged swagger of Baby I’m Bleeding brought an explosive, high-octane energy to the venue, which Peggy maintained into the climax of the set with the frenetic either on or off the drugs, and it’s dark and hell is hot to an adoring crowd.
Leaving the stage briefly, Peggy returned to oblige the audience’s request for an encore, launching into the Danny Brown collab cut BURFICT! With the track’s triumphant horns, the track was a fitting soundtrack to end JPEG’s winning performance. And it was with this triumph secured, Peggy said one final goodbye before exiting the stage.
Having executed a set that not only demonstrated his unparalleled skill but also his unique artistic vision, the crowd was sent back out onto Freo’s High Street armed with a plethora of answers to the question, What Kinda Rappin’ Was That?
MICHAEL HOLLICK
Photos by Adrian Thomson
